


The Maiden's Curse

by CartoonJessie



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, And angst, F/M, First Time, RSS, Rumbelle Secret Santa, and fluff, enchanted forest, rss 2016, smut smut smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-20
Updated: 2016-12-20
Packaged: 2018-09-10 16:31:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8924245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CartoonJessie/pseuds/CartoonJessie
Summary: Written for Rumbelle Secret Santa, the prompt was "angsty dark castle first time". Prepare for a lot more than just that! Set in the Enchanted Forest, in the weeks after Belle becomes Rumplestiltskin's caretaker, there is one massive secret she is trying to keep from her master... She's cursed, but not in a way anyone, least of all Rumplestiltskin, would expect.





	1. The New Maiden

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Natasha_Von_Lecter](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natasha_Von_Lecter/gifts).



If one were to ask Rumplestiltskin for his opinion on his new maiden, he had to admit that he hadn’t made up his mind just yet.

She had arrived a week ago and had spent her first nights crying. During the day, however, she did well enough. He rather enjoyed watching the princess get her hands dirty for the first time in her lifetime. He watched her dust, mop the floors, cook his meals, do his laundry and much more, and she was on her feet all day. When he went out – or pretended to go out – he knew that she sat down in his comfortable armchair – the one with the lavish pillows everywhere – and if he listened from the door, he could sometimes hear her sigh in contentment.

He liked to burst in the next moment, only to see her jump up and pretend to be busy, her face flushed as she continued dusting then. He pretended like he did not know that she had tried to rest. Startling her was punishment enough.

Since her second evening in the castle, she had had a weird evening ritual which he had not dared to remark upon. The first time, she had come to him while he had sat behind his spinning wheel, her hands trembling as they were folded in front of her yellow dress, and in a soft tone, she had asked: “Rumplestiltskin… I was wondering… Am I allowed to bathe in the bathroom on the second floor of the east wing?”

“Now?” he had asked, wondering what was up with her.

She had blushed fiercely. “Yes… I eh… I always bathe before sleeping.”

“This may be a castle, but you are not a princess here!” he had reminded her sternly, and as he had seen the tears well up in her eyes, part of him had wondered why she wasn’t laughing with him. To make it up to her, he had said: “Fine. I don’t want you stinking as it is. You may use the bathroom.” He did an elaborate yet elegant gesture with his hand, and added: “The tub is full now. Mind you: the water will be gone in an hour, so better hurry now you still can!”

She had looked incredibly relieved, and had thanked him at least four times before she had left the room to take her bath.

He had considered spying on her, but then again, he was afraid of entering messy waters with her. She was a beauty, that was sure, but he didn’t need to make it more complicated than it was now. She was just a servant. He was just a master. They could both miss the drama of being more than that.

Every evening though, she came to him and asked him sweetly if he could fill up a bath for her, and every evening he obliged, even though he thought it was unnecessary to bathe as much. Once a week was more than enough, he figured, but if this was where she found her relaxation, he would not stop her. Besides, he quite liked the scent of roses that she had around her every morning.

As she offered him tea a week later, she stood beside him as he drank, her eyes wide as she studied his expression, and as he had no comments on his tea that evening, she felt relieved.

“You’ve taken a week to master the skill of making proper tea,” he teased her. “Not as fast as I would have liked. Do you think your father would take you back and offer me another one of his maidens?”

He was only joking, but she narrowed her eyes, apparently not yet ready to joke about her noble sacrifice.

A little frustrated that she had not laughed with his quip, he put down his cup.

“Anything else?” he asked impatiently, and it was like she was jolted to life again, for she quickly shook her head, then took his empty cup and headed out of the room again.

He waited for her to return, but she did not. Wondering what she was doing, he sneaked towards the kitchen, peering in through the open door to see his servant standing by the cutting table, her hands resting flat on the surface of that table as she seemed to be taking deep breaths, straightening her back as though she was aching all over.

She was in pain. He could sense it. But he figured that she was just getting used to this life of a servant. She probably wasn’t used to standing around as much, and so he figured she’d get used to it eventually. He hoped that the baths in the evening at least helped to get rid of some of the aches.

However, in the days that followed, he noticed it more often than not that she would stretch her back, or put her hands in her side for a brief moment, just to keep herself going. One evening, he noticed from the hallway how she lowered herself onto the comfortable armchair – but so slowly – that he wondered for a moment if she was as young as she seemed or in fact much older.

He had no idea why it was so hard for her to get used to this work. He watched her as she tried to find a comfortable position to sit in on his most luxurious chair in the castle, the pain so clear from her face that he had half his mind made up to storm in and demand an explanation.

As her master, did he not at least have the right to know when she was hurting? If it was stopping her from doing her job properly, then he could fix that with magic. Yet when he walked in, she immediately got up again, forcing a smile on her lips as she asked: “Can I be of service in any way?”

She stood so straight, so proudly and so beautifully in front of him that he had forgotten everything he had wanted to say. Instead, he frowned and shook his head. “You are done for tonight. Do you desire a bath?”

“Yes, please!” she said eagerly, and he half-heartedly gave her a flourish of his hand as a symbol that the water was ready, and once more she thanked him several times before she left the room and headed towards the east wing.

As he sat down behind his spinning wheel, he was muttering to himself. Why was she bathing so much? Why couldn’t she just ask him to relieve her of the pain she was obviously feeling in her muscles? Why wasn’t she getting stronger?

She had seemed like a healthy young woman when she had offered herself to go with him, but he was beginning to doubt that now.

The following morning though, she came from her cellar bedroom with a small smile, and as she passed him behind his spinning wheel to get a cup and plate out of the cupboard, he could smell the scent of roses again. Angry thoughts were forgotten in an instant, and he looked at her as she moved about, no ache visible in the way she walked.

Perhaps it wasn’t so bad first thing in the morning?

Then again, that made little sense. Her bed was hard – incredibly hard. Perhaps… perhaps a softer bed would solve her issues!

He waited until the afternoon, and kept an eye on her as she was preparing the table for his afternoon tea, noticing the exact moment when she leaned back with her hands in her sides.

“Aha!” he shouted, getting up from behind the spinning wheel, nearly pushing it over in the process, and he clumsily steadied it with his hands, as though he had forgotten that he had magic for this.

Belle looked at him with a slightly shocked expression, wondering what he was on about.

“You are aching!” he said triumphantly. “I see it in your face!”

Belle frowned and shook her head, trying to wave it off by continuing with her work.

“Just a little tired, that’s all,” she muttered, but he knew she was lying.

“It’s the bed, isn’t it?” he said out loud, sounding proud of himself for having figured that out. “I should have known a princess like you could not get used to less than ideal sleeping conditions. Well I can’t watch this any longer. Your work is only going to suffer because of it. Follow me!”

As he hurried through the room and then into the hallways, Belle took small but hurried steps to keep up with him, wondering where he was taking her and fearing that he was going to do something she disliked.

It appeared he was taking her to the bathroom, and she was confused by this, hoping he would not invade her privacy.

But she had no reason to worry about such a thing, for he stopped at a door in front of the bathroom and opened it for her.

As he allowed her in first, she stepped in slowly, gazing around in surprise. She had never been in this room before – for it had always been locked off to her – but she saw it were living quarters – an actual room, with an actual bed and an actual closet. There was also a desk with a dark oak chair by the window, and there was plenty of room for her to sit in the windowsill. The curtains were dark blue and a small smile came to Belle’s lips as she looked around.

“For me?” she asked, her voice rather small as she turned to look at him.

His arms were crossed over one another as he leaned casually against the doorframe, shrugging in a careless way.

“Yeah, why not.”

Though he was trying hard to sound uncaring, Belle still smiled at him, and he felt his stomach squeeze together in a way that wasn’t altogether unpleasant.

“Thank you,” she said softly, letting her fingers trail over the blue curtains of her four-poster bed.

“Now remember, after tomorrow, I don’t want you complaining about aches!”

Belle seemed a little startled, and defended herself quickly: “I never complained about aches!”

“No matter,” he waved off her reply. “You have a soft bed now, the bathroom is right next door, and soon you’ll be able to work twice as hard!”

He giggled as he said that last bit, and Belle smiled for once, realizing that he was just trying to scare her. It didn’t really work on her anymore.

Noticing her smile, he grew quiet, looking at her lips for a while before he suddenly took a step back.

“Where is my tea?” he demanded in a shrill voice. “I’m thirsty!”

Belle chuckled as she quickly hurried out of her new room, heading over to the kitchen as quickly as she could, Rumplestiltskin in her wake. He wasn’t as bad as she had feared, and she was glad for it. She only hoped he would not be upset if she would still feel the usual ache in her body after his kind gesture.


	2. The Cling-Clang

Rumplestiltskin thought he had fixed it all. Belle certainly smiled a lot more at him now, and he felt like he could finally focus on his spinning and plotting again. He was often out for deals during the day, but he always made sure he was back for tea time.

And Belle was always ready for him, standing next to the table as he entered, eager to pour him his tea and ask him how his day had been.

He never gave straight answers, but as she stood beside him, she still smiled at whatever he said, glad to hear of him, to have someone to talk about, and he realized that she was turning out as lonely as he was. She was nearly as desperate for conversation with him as he was with her, even though he often stopped himself from babbling too much before he could make a fool of himself.

He had whisked quite far that day – to the country of Arandelle – and he told her all about the snowy hilltops and the rock trolls and mountain trolls and all other sorts of trolls that roamed those lands, and she hung on his lips, smiling eagerly as he told her how to distinguish between all of them, and then continued to explain what they preferred to eat, and what kind of ingredients could be salvaged from their corpses, and the potions in which those ingredients could be used.

As he realized he had been talking for nearly half an hour and she was still standing there, he suddenly whisked a chair behind her, and she looked at him with wide eyes.

“Well don’t just stand there, sit down,” he said as though it didn’t matter that she sat down. Afraid he sounded too kind, he quickly added: “I need you to wash out the kitchen cabinets in an hour, so you might as well rest up now that you still can!”

As she looked at the chair, he noticed her hesitation, and what he saw next made his blood boil a little.

She sat down – but so slowly – so carefully – almost as though she was afraid of the chair. He had never seen something quite like it.

Thoughts of trolls were forgotten immediately and he frowned in an upset way as he looked at her.

“What are you hiding from me?” he asked, and she realized how he almost sounded insulted as he asked her that.

Her cheeks flushed and she averted her eyes as she replied.

“Nothing.”

“I beg to differ,” he argued.

“Nothing important,” she insisted.

“Don’t you ever sit down like a normal person?” he asked her, his voice mean because he was very upset by her secrecy.

When he suddenly saw she was crying, his harsh gaze fell.

Why was she even crying? Was it something he had said?

She got up – faster than she had sat down, but not particularly fast – and tried to leave the room, but he waved his hand and the door slammed shut with magic before she could leave.

“Belle,” he said sternly, standing up from his chair as well as he put his hands in his sides. “It’s about time you tell me what on earth is wrong with you.”

He saw how she hesitated, how her back was still turned to him, but as she slowly turned around, he saw how she was trying to bite back tears, a bit of anger on her face as well.

“There is nothing wrong with me,” she said coldly, and her gaze was so fierce that he almost would have believed it.

He did not like the distance there was between them, and beckoned her to return to the table.

“Come here,” he said in a gentler tone, hoping that he could soothe out whatever was troubling his young and beautiful servant.

She reluctantly walked closer to him, until she was an arm’s length away from him, and as he tried to look into her eyes, she cast them down, not daring to meet his gaze.

Instead, he lowered his head and bent over a bit, trying to claim some of her attention while he was in her line of view, and as he noticed this made her smile, he smiled in return.

“Come now…” he said in a tone that was kinder than any Belle had heard from him before. “Why don’t you sit down and tell me what’s wrong?”

As he took her by the sides and suddenly lifted her up onto the table, he was too late to see how her eyes had widened in shock, or to notice how she grabbed hold of his shoulders for support.

When he sat her down on top of the table, he suddenly froze as he heard a loud clinging sound.

His eyes widened as he looked around, confused.

Belle had turned completely red in the face, and as he looked at her he realized that she had made that noise.

Lifting her from the table again, he waited – hearing all was quiet. Then he set her down on the large oak table, and there it was again…

_Clang._

Still confused, he suddenly demanded to know: “Why are you making such a cling-clang noise when I put you down?!”

He seemed absolutely offended by the sound alone, but Belle could not help but be a little amused by the way he had expressed himself at the same time.

Though there were tears in her eyes, there was also a small smile on her lips, and she admitted in hardly more than a whisper: “I… I have a chastity belt.”

It took a few moments before that sunk in with Rumplestiltskin.

“A what?!” He sounded offended at the idea alone.

“A eh… a metal belt… to… to keep me chaste. I’ve had it for years.”

He had heard of the term, but he had never seen one in his life – not even in his life as the Dark One. It was hard to imagine that there had been a mind on this planet that had been crueler than him to even come up with such a thing.

“Well, that’s just impractical,” he muttered, deciding that he needed to help the girl out. No wonder she’d been aching if she’d been carrying kilograms of metal around her hips all that time. He hadn’t even noticed it underneath her poofy dress.

As he brought his hand to where her belly button was and where he imagined the lock to be, he already had his mind made up.

“Rumple, no,” Belle tried to warn him, but it was too late.

As he tried to use magic to undo the lock, he was suddenly thrown backwards, ending up on the other side of the room, smashing into the cabinet and breaking some of the glass upon impact, and as he fell to the floor, he was completely disoriented – though luckily unharmed for the larger part.

“What on earth?!” he muttered, still on the ground, and Belle rushed over to him to help him up.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! It’s protected by magic!” she tried to explain, and at this he drew even larger eyes.

Looking down upon her lap, he realized that he could feel it too – now that he was aware of it. The magic had been dormant – until he had tried to break it – now it had roared to life again, and he could feel its origin.

“The Evil Queen,” he muttered, and Belle seemed surprised by this.

“How did you…”

“Know?” he filled in for her. “This feels like her handiwork alright.”

As Belle helped him up again, he repaired his cabinet with a wave of his wrist, and he pointed to the luxurious chair by the fire, the one with the pillows.

“You,” he said briefly, his tone slightly angry, though that anger was not directed at her. “You sit down. There.”

Though she did not like talking about all this, she figured she didn’t have much of a choice, and she sat down obediently, at least appreciating the fact that he had let her sit down in the most comfortable chair he owned.

While she sat down, he paced in front of the fireplace, casting her a glance just to see if she was still crying. She didn’t seem to be in tears anymore, but that didn’t mean she was eager to talk to him about this, and he saw her reluctance.

“If I’m going to be able to help you at all with your… predicament… you’re going to have to talk to me.”

His voice was still strict, but Belle understood that those words were coming from a place of worry, and she appreciated that.

“Tell me how you met the Evil Queen,” he insisted, and Belle figured that she could do that.

“It was ten years ago – when I was fourteen… The Evil Queen, or Queen Regina, was visiting my father. Just business – about supplies for the Ogre Wars. While she and my father were talking, I was in the great hall, speaking with one of her guards. He had been a huntsman before he had begun working for the Evil Queen, and he seemed like a really good guy, but he also seemed to be incredibly sad – like he hated his job more than anything. I felt for him, I truly did…”

Rumplestiltskin wasn’t surprised by that. His little caretaker had more empathy in her left pinky finger than most other people had in their entire bodies.

“So when the business talks were over, the Evil Queen came out of the throne room with my father, and she wanted to leave. I wanted to wish the guard the best of luck, and so I hugged him and gave him a peck on the cheek. I didn’t mean anything by it, but the Evil Queen saw it, and she did not like it. She left, but not for long. When she returned later that week, I wasn’t even aware of it, but she discussed with my father how I had driven her guard to desire me above all other things – and that I would not be able to stay chaste until marriage unless action was taken to ensure no man could have their way with me. My father asked for her advice in the matter, and she proposed a chastity belt. Then one morning, I was brought before the Queen, and she waved her hand and that’s that. Chastity belt.”

Rumplestiltskin had listened in quiet rage, standing still in front of the fire with his arms crossed. He had always known that his old apprentice was the jealous type, but to punish a fourteen year old girl that way was a new kind of low for her. And now his Belle was twenty-four, and still wearing that stupid belt.

“Can’t no one open the belt?” he wondered. “Does she still have a key?”

Belle shook her head. “There is no keyhole. It’s very simple. Only marriage will make the belt disappear. Or at least that’s what she said.”

He took a deep breath, thinking how he could work around that. “Well you’re my servant now. I can’t have you aching because of that stupid chastity belt. There must be a way around it.” He didn’t really want to do this, but it didn’t seem like he had another option. “Show it to me.”

At this, Belle startled. “What? No!”

“Well you can’t do your job comfortably if you’re wearing metal underpants, can you?” he replied harshly, and as he saw how her cheeks flushed and she appeared both shocked and angry, he realized he needed a softer approach or she’d be upset with him forever.

“I can’t show you!” she insisted, tears in her eyes once more. “It’s not something I want anyone to see.”

He would have almost taken it personal, but it did appear that her shame was about more than just him seeing it.

“Don’t you want me to help you get rid of the thing?” he wondered, trying to control his voice so he didn’t sound too upsetting.

Belle shrugged. “You can’t. The rules are clear. Only marriage will break the curse upon the bloody thing.”

“Ah…” He smiled gently, walking over to where she sat and kneeling down in front of her.

Belle startled, wondering what he was doing – and as Rumplestiltskin noticed this, he suddenly giggled: “No worries, dearie, I’m not about to ask you to marry me!” He inched even closer. “Just show me the belt – a tiny bit of it. It doesn’t need to be all of it. I just need to get a feel of it so I can understand the magic the Evil Queen has put upon it. I can only attempt to undo it if I know what magic runs through it!”

Her heart was beating fast as she started lifting the side of her skirt, going all the way up to her hip until most of her leg was revealed to him, as well as a tiny bit of the side of the chastity belt. The silver metal shone brightly, but they could both see how the belt cut into her skin, leaving painful red marks.

Bringing one finger to the metal, he touched it, his gaze focused while Belle studied him in return. He seemed calm and he was very quiet for several seconds, and she wondered what he was able to tell.

“I can’t approach this thing with the intention of unlocking it,” he muttered. “That’s what sent me flying in the first place.”

She already knew that. She had tried to undo it herself, but it was like magic herself had lifted her hands away from the device in those moments.

“It’s not just marriage,” he muttered. “It needs to be a proper marriage – with consummation in the first night. That’s what dissolves it completely. Marrying someone will make the belt disappear – but if you don’t consummate the marriage, the belt will reappear. Your first time will destroy the magic once and for all. Then you’ll be free of those metal underpants forever.”

As he still had his finger on the side of the belt, he continued: “This belt doesn’t seem to be flexible or grow along. She could have easily added a spell to make it more comfortable on you, but she didn’t.”

At those words, Belle grew fiercer. “It’s a torture device,” she explained. “It hurts, it’s heavy, and I need to watch what I eat because if I grow a little bigger, the thing will just cut my skin completely. I can’t even begin to tell you how frustrating it is to go to the toilet with this thing. I was so terrified when I asked for my first bath that you would deny it to me. I knew that you thought it was stupid to take so many baths.”

She was crying now, but did not dare to look at him. He appreciated her honesty none the less, and could not imagine the trauma or unease she had to experience on a daily basis because of the Evil Queen.

He let go of the metal and pulled her skirt down again, covering her legs completely before he sought out her hands and took them both in his.

“There is one thing I won’t ever accept in this place, and that is for other wizards or witches to torment the people who live here, Belle.”

As she looked in his eyes, she saw he was sincere, and upset with the Evil Queen and what she had done.

“I will find the loophole. I will undo this curse. I promise you that.”

She was so moved by those words, that she suddenly came down from where she was sitting and knelt down beside him, hugging him in gratitude.

She held him so tightly that he forgot how to breathe for a few moments, but as he realized how grateful he had just made his maiden, he relaxed and allowed himself to be happy for now. Hugging her back, he hoped with all his heart that he would not let her down.


	3. The Terrifying Teeth

Belle was honestly glad to have Rumplestiltskin as her ally. She had hated the circumstances of moving in with him at first, but she was beginning to see the good in him. Perhaps she was even beginning to feel at home.

He had become a friend of sorts, someone who understood her aches and was just as outraged with the Evil Queen as she sometimes was. Her father had never taken her side – her father had always agreed with the Evil Queen – and the more she thought about that, the more she wished that he had been like Rumplestiltskin.

Rumplestiltskin went out of his way to make her even more comfortable. While he searched for a means to end the curse, he had filled her wardrobe with clothes that were much easier to wear than the clumsy golden ball gown in which she had arrived.

One particular outfit was her favorite – it had white undergarments and a blue skirt and bodice – and he had even summoned her a pair of matching shoes.

At the same time, she no longer needed to ask him to fill up the bath. Instead, every evening when he thought she was done with work, he would ask: “Shall I fill up your bath for you?”

It was a small gesture, but one that meant the world to her.

During one tea time, he had even told her that if it was necessary that she needed a bath in the morning as well, it could be arranged. It had been so thoughtful of him that she had not known how to respond to it.

About a week after he had learned the truth, he came to her as she had been mopping the stairs in his entrance hall, and he cleared his throat to announce his presence. Surprised by the interruption, Belle smiled.

“Rumple! What brings you here?”

She was genuinely happy to see him, and it seemed like her smile distracted him, for he hesitated before he found his words again.

“I have experimented with a few potions and spells,” he began carefully. “Though I am not entirely certain they would work, I was hoping I could try them out on your belt.”

Belle gulped. As much as she wanted his help, she wasn’t fond on the idea of showing him her belt again. Luckily, he didn’t seem to be in a particular rush.

“Perhaps… tonight? After your bath?”

He suggested it so carefully that she could not be upset with him for proposing this, far from it.

She nodded slowly. “Of course. Where?”

“Your bedroom?”

Her breath hitched for a moment, but she nodded. It seemed like his breath hitched too in that moment.

“I won’t be here for tea time… but I’ll fill up your bath at the usual time. And I’ll be waiting for you in your bedroom when you’re done.”

She could only nod once more, her mind already buzzing with random thoughts of what was to follow. She didn’t fear what was to come though. For some reason she was… strangely excited?

As Rumplestiltskin whisked away, she continued mopping the floor, but she kept on feeling a little out of breath for the rest of the afternoon. Would she finally get rid of her chastity belt that evening?

 

 

She was nervous during bathing and very self-conscious as she dried herself off. She had even taken white undergarments from the cupboard and put those on over her chastity belt – it wasn’t comfortable, but at least it would allow her some dignity. She put on her white nightgown, with a blue robe on top of it, and combed through her hair, looking at herself in the mirror.

She realized she was looking terrified, and she practiced a brave smile in the mirror – again and again until she almost believed it herself.

“Trust Rumplestiltskin,” she whispered to herself, her gaze serious as she looked at her reflection. “Let him help you if he can.”

She took another deep breath, smiled, and then made her way to her bedroom, her feet bare as she stepped in, and Rumplestiltskin hardly noticed her entering.

He had put a small collection of vials and scrolls on her desk, and only turned around when she said: “Good evening, Rumple.”

His breath hitched as he heard her say his name – so short and simple, but so lovingly at the same time. As he turned around and looked at her, he truly forgot to breathe. She was so beautiful, and he realized he had never seen her with her hair loose before, and as she walked towards him, he hardly realized he was staring.

“Belle…” He didn’t know what else to say for a moment, until he realized she was now looking at the scrolls and vials. “Ah… Yes… eh… please… lay down. I’m eh… I’m gonna need access to eh… to the metal… again.”

Hearing him so nervous strangely enough calmed her down more than anything. So she wasn’t the only one that needed bravery for this. Laying down on the bed, she pulled up her nightdress and gathered the fabric around her stomach. Then she pulled down the undergarments just a bit – just a few inches underneath her belly button, so he could get to the metal. Next, she patiently waited for him to do his magic.

As he walked to the bed and saw her lying there, he was distracted by her legs, wondering if legs were always hidden underneath such massive skirts because they were this sexy. He quickly stopped that train of thought as he sat beside her though, and he had a wand in his hand.

“I will try a few things… Do not be afraid.”

Belle gulped. “Is it a problem if I am a little afraid?”

He chuckled. “It’s not a problem. But you have no reason to be afraid. I just want to try some things.”

He started waving the wand, sometimes muttering words in languages Belle did not understand, and as she looked at his face, she realized how focused he was. Though he tried a dozen different spells, nothing seemed to change, and he got up from the bed again and went to the desk, where he thought for a few moments before he picked up a vial.

He sat down by her side again, carefully holding the small vial between his fingertips.

“This potion should be able to turn the metal into silk… I figured… if we can’t undo the belt, we can at least make it wearable for you…”

Belle thought that was a genius idea, and she nodded her agreement as Rumplestiltskin let a few drips of the potion fall on the metal.

They were both watching with hope in their eyes how the metal would respond, but absolutely nothing happened and Rumple seemed a little upset by this.

“That bitch,” he muttered under his breath, and Belle was slightly surprised to hear him curse like that.

He continued with several other potions, each one more original than the last, but nothing worked, and Belle could see how he was beginning to despair. He was running out of ideas, and it was clear that he wanted to beat this curse more than anything. She admired his ambition and took his hand when he had run out of ideas, which made him look into her eyes for the first time since she had laid down.

“Rumple,” she said kindly. “I am so grateful for everything you have tried.”

As he looked into her eyes, he felt his heart ache. She was so brave, yet also tormented and in pain, and here she was trying to make him feel better.

“I will go to the Queen,” he said in a hoarse voice. “I can try and strike a deal with her. Perhaps there is something I have that she wants.”

Belle shook her head immediately. “No. I don’t want her to know I’m still suffering through this on a daily basis. I’d rather keep the belt than grant her the pleasure of knowing I’m looking for a way out.”

She made a valid point, and Rumplestiltskin nodded his agreement. He too didn’t want the Evil Queen to know Belle was under his care now – or that he cared enough about her to want to end this torment.

“I might still be able to do one thing,” he said softly, looking at how red her skin was where the metal cut into it. “I can heal your skin a bit.”

As he looked up at her for approval, she nodded with a shy blush, and as he brought his hand to her stomach, he carefully let it hover above her skin, his hand glowing purple as he healed the skin underneath.

“Will you turn around?” he asked her carefully, and she turned on her stomach almost immediately, lowering her undergarments just enough so he could see the top inch of her chastity belt.

The skin in her back seemed even redder in some spots, and Belle held her breath as he healed her.

When he was done, he wondered: “Do you want me to heal you a bit lower as well? I mean… I can imagine it cuts into your inner thighs as well – or doesn’t it?”

She turned around again and lowered her nightgown so that he could no longer see her undergarments, and as he looked up at her face, he noticed how fierce her blush was.

“I’m eh… I really don’t want you to see just what kind of monstrosity the Evil Queen has put upon me. Even if you’re just trying to help. I’d just… I’d just cry.”

Noticing how tears were already coming to her eyes from thinking about it, he inched closer to her, his hand reaching out to cup her cheek as gently as he could.

“Belle, you should not be feeling ashamed about this… This thing she did to you, it does not change that you are brave or kind or worthy of respect.”

He said those words so kindly that Belle could not help but cry a little, her gaze sad as she looked into his eyes. She had seen him be mean so many times before – but his capacity for kindness was just as big, and she liked him very much when he spoke to her like that.

“It’s just… There’s holes in the belt,” she admitted, trying to explain her shame. “So it’s not like it’s just underpants made of metal. It’s not… it’s not decent, is what I’m saying.”

“If it makes you feel better…” he said carefully. “I have seen naked women before. You’re not going to shock me.”

Belle seemed a little surprised by that confession, and Rumple was a little offended by her surprise.

“The Dark One has seen many naked women – and men,” he said quickly, trying to sound cool, but failing miserably.

Belle raised an eyebrow at those words.

“And Rumplestiltskin?” she wondered, beginning to realize that there were two of them in a way. Rumplestiltskin was the kind one, the Dark One the one who was cruel. But what mattered right now, was that the both of them were trying to help her.

He didn’t know what to say for a moment, but he found that he could not ask this girl for all her trust if he was not willing to trust her in return.

“Rumplestiltskin had a wife. Once. Centuries ago,” he said softly.

“What happened?” Belle hardly dared to breathe as she waited for his answer.

“She left me, and our son, for a pirate… When I became the Dark One shortly after, my son ran from me. When I met my wife again after that, I blamed her. And I killed her.”

It wasn’t one of his finest chapters, but it was the truth. And Belle needed to know precisely who she was dealing with. No one double-crossed Rumplestiltskin. Ever. And if she were to betray his trust by telling this story to anyone, then she too would pay.

But he did not think that was likely to happen. She was stuck with him. For the rest of her life, it seemed.

“I’m sorry,” she said compassionately, and he was honestly surprised by those words.

“Why?” he asked, pulling up his nose as though she had said something disgusting.

She smiled gently at him. “For what you went through. All of it. Becoming the Dark One. Losing your child. Killing your wife. Was that all very long ago?”

“Centuries ago,” he replied softly, not sure if he truly wanted to tell her all of this, but it seemed like it was too late to go back on his story now.

“And since then… you’ve loved no one? And no one has loved you?”

At the mention of the word ‘love’, he looked into her eyes again, seeing the kindest gaze he had ever beheld in his lifetime. She truly felt compassion for him, and it warmed his dark heart to think that perhaps she truly cared.

Someone cared for him – and even if he sometimes tried to tell himself he didn’t, he honestly cared for her as well. Wasn’t that why he was doing all this? Despite the fact that they hadn’t even known each other for longer than a month?

He didn’t reply to her question, he just whispered: “Belle…” He wasn’t even sure why.

“What is it?” she replied softly in return, and for a moment he just looked at her lips, the concept of time lost on him as he waited too long to reply.

“You… you should close your eyes and let me see.”

He had expected her to protest, but strangely enough, she didn’t. She lay down again and pulled up the nightgown. Then she closed her eyes as she waited for him to continue.

As he brought his hands to the hem of her underpants, he saw how her stomach tensed and her hands found their way to his.

Looking into her face, he noticed she was smiling despite the fact that her eyes were closed.

“Don’t tickle me,” she warned him, and as she smiled so warmly, he smiled in return, glad she had her eyes closed and could not see it.

As he pulled her underpants down, she lifted her bottom a bit, and he quickly pulled them off the length of her legs, glad she lifted her feet so he could pull them off entirely. As he looked back up at the metal chastity belt, his blood started boiling once more – but not in a positive way at all.

It didn’t cover up all her skin, just like she had told him it didn’t. There were two holes in it – positioned around two other holes, but they had metal teeth to protect her from intruders. The holes were rather small, hardly over an inch in diameter, and he could not imagine the embarrassment and frustration she had to feel each time she went to the toilet. No wonder she always sat down so slowly – any faster and her skin could get caught on those razor-sharp teeth.

But what frustrated him perhaps even most, was how red her skin was along the hem of her metal pants, especially on her inner thighs. He thought he could see scars of spots where she had once bled, and part of him had to stop himself from whisking right up to the Evil Queen’s castle to make her pay for this cruelty.

Her voice sounded uncertain as she asked: “Rumple?”

She still had her eyes closed – and he felt his hand go to hers as it rested on her stomach, touching her for a brief moment as he promised: “I’ll make it hurt less, I promise…”

Her hand grabbed a gentle hold of his as she squeezed it, and he gulped as he pulled his hand away from her again – not because he wanted to pull away from her, far from it – but because he needed to do something for her – anything – to make this torture bearable.

As his fingertips glowed purple, he hovered them above her sensitive skin, and he could see how his magic was able to heal her almost instantly. He was glad he could do this for her – even if it wasn’t enough.

When he was done, he took her nightgown and pulled it down again, and as she opened her eyes to look at him, he had a brave smile ready for her, even if all he felt inside was frustration and anger.

“There… Isn’t that better?” he asked carefully, and Belle smiled shyly as she sat up straight.

“Thank you, Rumplestiltskin. This means a lot to me.”

As she crawled a little closer to him, she suddenly hugged him again, and he felt his heart break. He held her tightly, and she only embraced him fiercer in return, and for a moment it seemed like they never would part. Rumplestiltskin honestly didn’t want to part from her. He could see himself sitting here like this with her forever. It would be a happy existence – happier than the one he’d led. Happier than the one she’d had too, he hoped.

When he sought his distance again, he didn’t let go of her completely, holding onto her hand as he said: “I will help you out of this thing. I promise you I’m not giving up just yet.”

She was so moved by his words, that she only knew to respond in one way – she leaned closer and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek, and her sad gaze told him that she wanted to believe those words – but that she also would not blame him if he needed to deem the task impossible.

He wasn’t going to give up though – he would do this for her – even if it was the first good deed of a lifetime. Some people were worth good deeds. Belle was worth a million.


	4. The Good Deeds

Every day she spent with him, she grew more and more surprised by his acts of kindness.

She had expected darkness – she had already seen it in him a few times – but to her, he was always kind.

He had already given her easier clothes, a better room and he had healed her aching skin – but it did not stop there. He also tried at least once a week to get her out of the chastity belt. Sometimes with potions, other times with spells, and a few times his will to get her out was so strong that he was sent flying across the room, but she was there to pick him up each time, her gaze so worried for him that he felt loved for a change.

To her surprise, he had now also forbidden her to work all day, each day. She had the weekends off, and a few hours every afternoon, and she only needed to work until right after dinnertime.

He had seen how she liked to spend those free hours reading, and before she knew it, he was leading her blindfolded into a room she hadn’t visited before. When he untied the blindfold and she opened her eyes, she saw more books than she could read in a lifetime, and he told her softly that it was hers – all of it – his gift to her, to make up for the injustice done to her.

“But Rumple,” she said sweetly, emotionally even. “You need not repay me for the injustice others inflicted upon me.”

“I disagree,” he said softly, holding her hand in his and squeezing it gently. “I too have done injustice to people who did not deserve it. I hope that someone else made their life better, like I’m hoping now that you are able to experience a sliver of happiness here with me.”

Her arms were around him in an instant, and as she hugged him tightly, he inhaled her scent and hugged her back.

“I am happy here with you,” she whispered. “Happier than I’ve ever been in my entire life.”

He was close to confessing the same thing to her, but kept his mouth shut as he stroked the back of her head, loving the feeling of her hair against his fingertips.

“I will keep my promise,” he said instead. “I will end this torture the Evil Queen inflicted upon you. I just haven’t found a way yet.”

Belle held very still in his arms, and it was almost like he could sense something was wrong. Pulling away just a little bit, he saw how she suddenly looked into his eyes, her face closer than ever when she suddenly asked: “Why don’t we get married?”

A frown spread across his face instantly. Yes, marriage would undo the curse, but…

“You can’t be serious…” he whispered, though his voice was hoarse. It was a sign that he was listening, but had a little trouble believing she was actually willing to do this

“I am,” she assured him quietly, not pulling away from him. “I promised to stay here with you forever. And you have treated me so well. I care about you… I think I even love you. If we married… The curse would be broken – and you would have kept your word…”

“And you’d be stuck with me for the rest of your lifetime…” Rumplestiltskin muttered, still not believing that she knew what she was getting into. “And not just as a servant – but as my wife. I would need to sleep with you to break your curse. I’d need to make love to you… I’m not… I’m not attractive and I can hardly call myself human, Belle. Is this really what you want?”

Her eyes had only begun to shine brighter at his words, and she nodded shyly, her lips curling up into a smile.

“Yes… I want you to be my husband. No one else. I have never felt for someone what I feel for you.”

Her words struck a nerve with him – a sensitive one – and he had trouble keeping his emotions in check. His lip was trembling as he looked at her, wondering how she could be serious.

“I’m a monster… And I’m not saying this in a ‘woe is me’ kind of way… I mean it. The things I’ve done… Belle, I would hardly dare to tell you of what I’m capable of and the blood I have on my hands…”

“You can be better,” Belle whispered hopefully. “I know you can be. And that is all that matters. Together, we’ll overcome the demons within.”

He hesitated. “It’s not just me you’re marrying. It’s also the Dark One. He cares for you, I feel this too – but he won’t be contained by you. He can’t be controlled, how much you might find it in your heart to love me. It wouldn’t be fair to put you through that.”

Belle was stubborn though, and added: “Whether you marry me or not, I will love you regardless of that decision.”

He sighed, shaking his head.

“Belle… Love is weakness,” he tried to explain. “When people realize we’re married, you’ll be an even likelier target than you are now. I have so many enemies, none of them would be kind enough to spare your life after the hundreds of ways in which I’ve wronged so many of them.”

“You’ll protect me,” she insisted. “We’ll keep it secret. No one needs to know we’re married.”

Everything she said was hard to believe for him, but he was starting to.

“And the priest? Or druid? Or shaman? Whoever marries us? He will know. Do you want my first act as your husband to be the murder of the man who bound us in holy matrimony?”

Belle kept quiet at that, then suggested: “Somewhere in this world, there has to be someone who can officiate a marriage… who is also blind. If he can’t see us, he won’t know us, and if he doesn’t know us, he can’t spread the word to anyone that he married us… And that’s how no one would know.”

He kept quiet for a long time, considering that idea. It was genius. If there was such a guy somewhere in the world, at least. He’d need to look for him – but this needle in a haystack was perhaps easier to find than a cure for the chastity belt by the Evil Queen’s making.

But was he really considering it then? Marrying her? Consummating that marriage the very night they did?

The thought alone made it very hard to keep his heartbeat in check. Was he ready for such a commitment? Even if it was to his sweet Belle?

Taking her hands in his, he brought them closer to his mouth, pressing sweet kisses upon her knuckles as he looked at her. “If you’ll still have me,” he muttered shyly. “Then I’ll be yours.”

There were tears in her eyes as she nodded, and she brought his hands closer to her face now, pressing small kisses on them as well.

“I’m yours… Now and for as long as you’ll have me.”

They were quiet for a few moments as they looked into each other’s eyes, the love they saw there only pulling them in closer together, until their lips were only an inch apart and they could feel the other’s breath on their skin.

Rumplestiltskin did not dare to force his harsh lips upon hers, but he did not need to. She closed the final distance between them, stopping his heart for a second as her wet lips embraced his, her hands tangled in his hair as she pulled him closer.

It wasn’t just love he felt in her, it was desire as well, and he knew nothing that excited him more. He drew her closer and held onto her as though their lives depended on it, wrapping his arms around her so tightly that he could even feel the harshness of her chastity belt as it was pressed against him.

He counted himself lucky for not being denied her kisses now, for he realized how easy it would have been for the queen to add those into the curse as well – luckily, he had nothing to fear from kissing her. He quite enjoyed it – and it appeared that she did as well – her cheeks flushing as she caressed his skin, rough as it was.

He carefully lifted her in his arms and carried her to the small but comfortable reading bench, where he lay her down before he sat down by her side, kissing her jawline and neck as she gasped and held onto the bench as he rolled on top of her, his weight not as hard to take as she would have expected in her wilder dreams.

Oh, yes, she had dreamed of him in many ways. And the past weeks, those dreams had only grown more indecent. She had dreamed it was him who had rid her of the chastity belt – and him to bring her the bliss she had so often desired. Tears streamed down her face as she was reminded of those fierce dreams, and he immediately stopped kissing her when he noticed this.

“Belle,” he whispered hoarsely, fearing he had done something wrong. “What’s wrong?”

She shook her head quickly, but still admitted her deepest thoughts to him: “I want you so much… And I can’t… I can’t even give into my own desires… It’s frustrating.”

He had not considered how cruel he was to tease her this way, and he immediately rolled back to her side again, pulling her near, but stopping his kisses for now.

“I just… I just wanted you to know what it would be like… our first night… in a way… I don’t want you to regret choosing me. If you want to back out, you still can. I want you, but I don’t want you to pick me because you feel like there will never be another option for you either way. I don’t want you to feel like you don’t have a choice…”

“But I said I’d come with you forever,” Belle said softly. “That’s the way it is. This is my only option, but also my desire.”

“Then let me offer you other options,” he replied patiently. “I grant you your freedom. You can roam the world if you want to, look for a better suitor than me… And… you don’t need to be stuck with me.”

Belle seemed a little outraged at the proposal alone, and wrapped her arms around him instantly.

“I’m not leaving you, Rumple. You’re stuck with me now. I gave you my word. And… I am where I want to be.”

To prove her loyalty to him, she kissed him once more, and he moaned softly in reply to her, holding her closer again as he returned the kiss.

“Belle,” he whispered in-between kisses. “You have no idea how happy you just made this monster.”

She wanted to make him even happier – and she didn’t want him to ever doubt her love for him. Mimicking what he had done before, she started kissing his jaw and neck, and he was soon purring in delight as she teased him with kisses underneath his ear, her hands undoing the buttons of his shirt.

With his stomach bare before her, he did not know what was happening precisely – but he knew he wasn’t going to stop his Belle now. Her hands were divine as she teased the sensitive skin around his stomach, and he realized he was growing very hard for her now. The thought of not being able to continue with her was strangely alluring though. The fact he could not have her only excited him more.

Belle wasn’t holding back either, her kisses growing hotter by the minute. She was a fast learner, and very eager to please as well. When Rumplestiltskin felt how her hands rubbed over the bulge in his leather pants, he almost wanted to remark that he now understood why the queen had put her in that chastity belt – but he decided against saying such a cruel thing. She would not have found it as funny as he did.

Instead, he grabbed her wrists and pinned them in the sheets on either side of her head as he kissed her fiercely, a low growl in his throat as though he was warning her against going too far.

Now Belle was beginning to wonder if he really did not want to go any further than what they were doing now, for she was bursting with curiosity – even if she couldn’t do much at all with the stupid belt she was wearing.

“Don’t let out the beast if you can’t take it,” he warned her, though there was a playfulness to his tone as well, and Belle raised an eyebrow.

“Sweetheart, I’m afraid you’re the one who can’t take me,” she teased him back, a sly grin on her face.

Realizing how she was right, he frowned. “Well then, don’t tease the beast,” he muttered. “That’s just mean.”

Belle chuckled, pulling him a little closer for a sweet kiss, and this calmed him.

They would be fools to take this much further than just kisses, and so he rolled off her again, holding her in his arms as they kissed and caressed each other. With each sweet whisper of his Belle, his desire to find a priest to wed them only grew. She was so clever and witty – he could not imagine ever growing bored of her. He wanted her – not just sexually – but to be with for every day for the rest of his life. 


	5. The Blind Druid

Rumplestiltskin left the Dark Castle long before Belle had awoken, whisking all around the Enchanted Forest in the hopes he would find someone who could officiate a marriage for him and his sweet Belle.

Finding a druid or priest wasn’t very hard – finding someone who was actually blind as well was a bit trickier. Tea time was already over by the time he heard rumors of a former druid who had gone blind after eating some very bad forest herbs.

For a moment, Rumplestiltskin hesitated. Was a man who poisoned himself really the kind of man he wanted to get married by? But as he remembered his beautiful Belle and the wonderful night they had had before, he could not help but get over it in an instant.

He found the druid in a shabby little hovel by the side of a forest, sitting on a stump in front of the fireplace. If this was going to work, then Rumplestiltskin needed to pretend to be a normal man, and so he did not whisk himself next to the druid, instead, he softly knocked on the door, waiting patiently for the man to acknowledge him.

“Enter!” he heard the old man’s voice shout, and as he went in, he saw how the man turned his head slightly, just enough to listen to him. It didn’t seem like he was particularly rich, his hovel having nothing but the bare essentials – and the man’s long brown robes weren’t particularly fancy either.

“Hello!” Rumplestiltskin said cheerfully. “Sorry for disturbing you. I eh… I heard you are a druid?”

The man raised an eyebrow and appeared to be rather grumpy.

“So?”

“I wish to marry my girlfriend… as soon as possible, to be honest.”

“What’s the matter? Got her pregnant already?” the druid muttered.

His gaze turned away from him – not that he would have been able to see Rumplestiltskin, and the fact that the druid had no idea who he was dealing with, even if Rumplestiltskin wore one of his finest suits and had not bothered to cover his face up, was encouraging to the Dark One.

This man would not be able to recognize either Belle or him.

But then again, this man didn’t seem to officiate particularly happy marriages either.

“No,” Rumplestiltskin replied in a serious tone, trying to keep his voice as casual as possible. No rolling r’s or giggles or higher tones – just plain and simple – like he almost was a normal man. “We are very much in love and wish to marry each other as soon as possible. This evening, if it were possible.”

“No family that wants to attend the wedding?” the druid suddenly asked, no longer sounding as weary as before, though he still seemed a little suspicious.

“None. We only have each other.”

The druid sighed at those words, and his uninterested tone was somehow completely gone now. “There is no greater pleasure in this world than finding someone to share all the hardships of life with. Loneliness is no way in which to live a life. I know this well enough.”

Rumplestiltskin didn’t want to push or seem too eager. Deciding to show some interest in the druid himself, to gain his trust, he asked: “By becoming a druid, you choose a life of solitude though, don’t you?”

The druid smiled mysteriously. “Not necessarily. We bond with animals and plants, and to a lesser extent also with humans. Though, I have to admit, being blind makes it really hard to bond with animals. The other day, I heard a little bird that had fallen from its nest – and it took me ages to find it, crawling on my knees, gently moving my hands about in the fear that I would accidentally crush it if I came on too strong. But then it suddenly squeaked so gently, like it wanted to be found, and as I held the little being in my hands, I realized that I could not see where its nest was.”

“What happened then?” Rumplestiltskin wondered, already imagining that he had no choice but to leave the little bird to die.

“I took it into the village and asked for aid. Even though I can no longer do what I was meant to do for all living things in the forest, there is a new generation now – young boys who are eager to help out. They kept the bird, they fed it, and it’s doing quite well now. A tame crow, apparently, very intelligent thing, they tell me.”

Though the man seemed sad by his own tale, there was also some relief in it – that he wasn’t alone in taking care of those that needed help.

“Would you be so kind as to make me some tea?” the druid asked, and at this, Rumplestiltskin frowned, though he headed to the fireplace and looked at the water that stood boiling in the kettle.

Using the tools at his disposal, he filled a small net with herbs that he found in a pot above the fireplace, then poured a large spoon of hot water over it, into a big mug.

When finished, he smelled the tea, deciding that it didn’t smell too dodgy after all.

Before he offered the mug to the man, he made sure to transform his hands into human ones. When the man touched him, he was not alarmed by strange skin or anything of the sort, and he let his hands slide from Rumplestiltskin’s hands to the big mug, smelling it with a content smile on his face.

“Thank you. I would love to wed you to your girlfriend later this evening. Or would you rather wait until the night? There is a full moon coming.”

Rumplestiltskin knew this too, but he hadn’t realized it yet.

“The night of a full moon is a powerful night to form such a strong bond as one between husband and wife.”

“That sounds great,” Rumplestiltskin said with a genuine smile. He believed in nothing – and at the same time in everything. He was willing to believe that the full moon would be a token of good luck upon their marriage. “I shall come with my girlfriend when the moon is out above the trees.”

“Would you like me to invite more people from the village?” the druid offered, and for a brief moment, Rumplestiltskin feared the plans would need to be cancelled, but luckily it was just a question, and he could say no.

“No, I’d rather not have more people present, to be honest. Neither does my girlfriend. We’d rather not be judged by people we don’t know yet.”

“You’re not from around here, are you? I hear it in your voice,” the druid said, and Rumplestiltskin chuckled.

“No, I’m not, and neither is my girlfriend. I will go and inform her now and we’ll be with you again later. Until then – and enjoy your tea!”

“Thank you,” the druid spoke softly. “And… if you can spare something for the gods… or for me as I speak for the gods… then by all means, do not hesitate to bring it along.”

Rumplestiltskin could not help but grin. Of course some form of payment had to be involved – but as the Dark One, he understood that better than anyone. He wondered what the druid wished for exactly, but he nodded before he said. “Of course. Until later.”

 

 

He found Belle on the reading bench by the fireplace in their living room, curled up with a book, and he eagerly told her all about the druid he had found, and Belle was delighted. “Oh that’s so romantic, being married by a druid!” she said eagerly, grinning at him. “I only knew two kinds of marriages in my fantasies. The big elaborate ones – in a massive castle – in front of the entire Enchanted Forest – with unaffordable gowns and wedding cakes and dozens upon dozens of tables of guests eating the fanciest meal servants could prepare, and a priest in fancy robes officiating the wedding… And then the other fantasy was of a simple wedding… In a forest… at night… Just me in a plain white dress, and the man I loved, some flowers and candle light, and a druid. For some reason, just thinking about it brings me peace. I just can’t wait for that dream to come true.”

She wanted to kiss him, but he pulled back a little, stopping her from doing just that.

“Bad luck to kiss the groom before the wedding, isn’t it?”

She chuckled. “Good point. Will you summon me a wedding dress? Something very plain? But when I mean plain – I mean super-plain, like… plainer than my nightdress even.”

He thought it was a weird request – and he certainly wanted to give her the world and the fanciest dress she could have wished for – but whatever her wish was, was his command.

“Of course,” he said with a smile, and as he waved his hand with a flourish, a white dress suddenly lay on the large oak table, the dress made of fine cotton, but with no lace or fancy edges anywhere, just a neat trim on the edges. To finish the look, however, he summoned a belt made of white flowers, as well as a flower crown for her to wear, and she was absolutely thrilled by those.

“Oh these are perfect! How much time is left?”

“A few more hours,” he said as he looked outside, noticing how it was starting to get dark. “Why don’t you go take a nice bath and get ready? Just call me when you need me. I’ll be in the forest, preparing for the wedding.”

Belle wondered what he would do precisely, but nodded eagerly, and as she took the dress and accessories with her to the bathroom, Rumplestiltskin whisked away again, hoping to prepare the wedding of her dreams for her.

 

 

 

Belle nervously looked at herself in the mirror. Oh, she thought she was beautiful the way she looked, that was not what worried her. She just hoped Rumplestiltskin would not change his mind about marrying her.

It wasn’t like no other men had had cold feet before, and he was the Dark One after all. He wasn’t known for his loving side – even though she was certain he had one that he kept carefully hidden from practically everyone else in this world. She had been lucky enough to see it by now.

The night before had also proven just how much she wanted him. She could not wait to finally be rid of the chastity belt – but that was not what drove her the most to this wedding anymore. It was him. She truly wanted him for who he was, and as her own hands traced over the simple fabric of her dress, she felt how her nipples were already hard for him – not from the cold, but from excitement – and she licked her lips as she tried to imagine what would follow that night. She had waited so long for it…

She felt the familiar ache in her crotch as her thoughts of lust continued, and deciding that it was time to leave, she called Rumplestiltskin, who immediately whisked to her side, dressed in something that was so unlike him, that she could not help but stare for a few moments, though she felt nothing but warm thoughts at the same time.

He was dressed in black robes – simple cotton ones, with no patterns or anything fancy, just like her – with nothing but a brown rope to gather the fabric around his waist. She could not help but stare at his collarbone. The robes were rather open on top, and the skin he revealed made it hard for Belle not to stare too much.

In return, Rumplestiltskin also took her in. He had summoned the dress himself, but even he had not been able to imagine it to look so beautiful on her. Her thick brown curls were lose over the white fabric, and the tight long sleeves accentuated her tiny waste perfectly. The flowers were a lovely touch as well, and for a moment he let his hand roam over her sides, feeling how she was truly wearing nothing underneath – nothing but the chastity belt which would soon disappear.

He could hardly wait, but was eager to show her what he had done to the forest as well.

As he whisked them both away, Belle saw how candles were lighting a path in the forest, roses growing over the trees as they followed the path to an open clearing. The scent of the roses was wonderful, and Belle truly felt like she was part of a fairy tale, fireflies between the trees illuminating the otherwise dark forest. She wondered if Rumplestiltskin had had anything to do with those.

The druid was already standing in an open clearing, with two ablaze fire pits near him to keep them all warm. As Belle and Rumplestiltskin approached, the druid moved his head slightly, hearing their soft footsteps on the grass beneath them.

“Good evening,” Rumplestiltskin said first, and Belle added a shy, yet happy: “Hello!”

The druid smiled, his eyes apparently gazing in their direction, though it was clear he wasn’t seeing anything.

“It pains me to say that I forgot to ask your names before,” the druid said kindly. “I will need them for the ceremony.”

Belle noticed how Rumplestiltskin froze besides her, but she was faster than he was, knowing how important it was to him that no one ever found out about their marriage.

“We see this as the beginning of a new life,” Belle said gently. “A life where we leave our old selves behind for as much as we can, in order to give each other our very best. Holding on to our old names would remind us of the pain of our life before. We want this to be a new start.”

Rumplestiltskin was baffled by how smoothly she had come up with that, but then he started to wonder if she was serious. Was she willing to leave her old self behind to become someone new for him – the best Belle she could be? And was he expected to change to the best version of himself as well?

It was a frightening thought – but at the same time he wanted nothing more than to please her. He would certainly try to be worthy of her.

The druid had bought Belle’s explanation as well, and thought for a few moments before he said: “Then you shall be known to the gods that marry you as Belenor and Anarath, also known as Beli and Ana, the original father and mother of all who roam this earth. As they created the world, you will now create a new life before you as well.”

Belle could not help but look at Rumplestiltskin, who smiled in return, not minding all this symbolism at all.

As the druid told the original story of Belenor and Anarath – a story which was hardly known at all to Belle and Rumplestiltskin – they listened quietly, enjoying both the tale, the company and the beautiful scenery around them. The moon shone brighter than ever, or so it seemed, and the combination of the warm fires and the romantic moonlight left them all painted in gentle colors as they held hands and listened to the druid.

The druid continued with talking about how the moon was blessing them, and how he could feel the energy of the moonlight being passed on to all of them. It would be a source of strength for all years to come, and he encouraged them to seek out the moonlight in times when their marriage would be tested.

Belle took that advice to heart, filled up with good ideas and such hopes that this marriage would work.

Then, the druid asked for a rope, and this confused both Belle and Rumplestiltskin for a moment, and as Belle looked at the rope he used as a belt, he untied it. Belle took it from him and offered it to the druid, who then asked for their hands.

Rumplestiltskin hesitated, once more not wanting the druid to feel his skin. So he transformed himself into a form he never really had taken before – not completely. He had changed his hands and only those to that form, but never himself completely. Yet to Belle, he was willing to show it – the way he had looked before the curse.

As his skin looked human, as well as his eyes and hair, he noticed how Belle’s mouth dropped, her eyes wide as she drank in the sight of him, and while he took her hand, she was still staring at him, her mouth opened even wider than before.

While the druid tied a knot around their joined hands, Belle’s cheeks were flushing, her mind no longer capable of rational thought. All she was vaguely aware of, was that he was handsome – human-handsome – and she wondered for how long he would remain this way.

Rumplestiltskin was amused by her staring, and thought she’d never looked cuter.

As the druid said: “And now that the knot is tied, so are your lives tied together now, before all gods and yourselves. You are now like Beli and Ana, charged with taking care of yourselves, your offspring and this beautiful world. May your marriage be a prosperous one.”

As Belle suddenly gasped, Rumplestiltskin knew what it meant.

The way she looked down her dress and shifted a little as she stood there, told him enough. The chastity belt had come off, and as Belle bit her lip while she looked at him, he knew precisely what was going through her mind. The ceremony wasn’t even officially over yet, and she was already undressing him with her eyes.

He grinned in anticipation as he waited for the druid to say his final words, and when all was over and done, their hands were still linked together by the rope.

His right hand was still free though, and Rumplestiltskin shook the man’s hand once more, thanking him for doing this.

“It was my pleasure,” the man said.

Rumplestiltskin whisked a bottle into his hand and offered it to the man, who did not know it had been whisked there by magic.

“This is payment for your services,” Rumplestiltskin continued. “You will find some very, very fine wine in there. It would honor us if you would drink to us and our happiness tonight.”

The druid grinned, pulling the cork from the bottle before he brought it to his lips.

He was faster than Rumplestiltskin had expected, and with Belle’s hand still in his, he quickly whisked back to the castle.

As the druid drank a few quick gulps of the delicious wine, he had to hold in a little burp, but to his surprise, he was suddenly able to distinguish between the flames and the darker air around it, and as the flames became sharper and sharper to his eyes, he also saw the beautiful forest around him now, and the abundance of flowers.

He was so surprised by this sudden return of his eyesight, that he forgot for a moment that he had just wed two people – and that they were no longer around.

When he remembered them, however, he turned around as fast as he could, trying to see where they had gone, until he realized what had happened.

Falling to his knees, he lowered his face to the ground, tears of joy falling on the grass as his arms were outstretched before him. He thanked all the gods he knew, especially Beli and Ana – who had taken on mortal forms for just one night, just to come down upon him and bless his life once more.


	6. The First Night

Rumplestiltskin had hardly gotten the chance to tell Belle what was in the wine he had given to the druid before her arms were already around him and she kissed him fiercely, her hands all over his smooth human skin and soft hair.

He was a little startled, to say the least. No woman had ever come onto him so strong – least of all while he looked human like this. But he wasn’t going to change back, not if this look seemed to have her utmost approval.

They were in the great hall – the fire burning brightly besides them – and Rumple’s eyes roamed the place as Belle had begun to kiss his neck, leaving him hissing in desire a few times. He was already growing hard, and with another whisk of his hand, he summoned a collection of soft furs in front of the fire place, something which went unnoticed to Belle as she was pulling up his robe already.

She was so eager – he had nothing but respect and love for her as she bared him before her – and soon he was completely naked – and fully hard – as she let her hands roam his back while she covered his mouth with hers.

He had imagined himself to take a lead in this before, but now he realized that taking the lead was unnecessary in her case – she was eager to please, and when her hands touched his shaft, he gasped, and this sound was the only thing that had managed to make her stop for a moment, for she suddenly hesitated.

He could see in her eyes that she had feared she had hurt him, and he shot her an encouraging smile.

“Continue, sweetheart,” he said gently.

“How?” she wondered quietly, her fingers gently tracing his length, and he smiled.

“Any way you want. You can’t hurt me… and you will learn what pleases me eventually.”

Belle hesitated, casting her eyes away now. “But I don’t really know how to please you… or anyone for that matter.”

There she was – the blushing virgin. For a moment Rumplestiltskin had believed Belle would just go for it, fierce and unafraid – but it seemed she was afraid of hurting him, and so he gently put his hands in her neck as he gave her a soft kiss on her lips.

She still seemed a little upset as she said: “I don’t even know how to please myself, so how would I know how to please you?”

Now Rumplestiltskin realized that Belle wasn’t even like the blushing virgin – she was even less experienced than that.

“I can teach you,” he offered her kindly, no judgement in his tone as he still held her softly in her neck. “Did you know that women can find a climax much more often than men can during one night?”

Belle shook her head, interested in what he had to say and anxiously awaiting more of his knowledge.

“Before we are ready to actually have sex, it is best to play and get each other a little wetter first.”

“Wet?” Belle repeated, her cheeks flushing a little now.

He smiled warmly. “Yes. To make it as painless as possible. If I were to try and have sex with you right now, I bet you wouldn’t enjoy it very much. So let’s just take it slow and spend a good deal of time kissing and touching.”

Belle took an anxious breath at that. “I don’t want to wait too long… I’m afraid the chastity belt is going to come back on if I don’t get it over with soon.”

He gave her a sweet kiss on her lips before he said softly: “We still have all night… Do not worry about that.” Brushing her hair to the side, he asked: “May I take off your dress?”

She nodded quickly – perhaps a little too eagerly – and as he pulled off her dress and then dropped it to the side, he saw how Belle was looking down just as curiously as he was.

She pulled a slightly horrified face though, seeing the amount of hairs between her legs – and he too recognized that it didn’t look quite the way it should. All the hair that had ever grown there had never been able to get out, and it had strangled together with newer hairs, leaving hair that looked more like dreadlocks than anything else. As he saw how she was close to crying – especially when she compared it to the amount of hair he had himself in that region – he waved his hand and the hairs disappeared, leaving Belle with a sigh of relief.

He imagined that perhaps she had never even seen any hairs on herself before she had been cursed into that chastity belt, and that was why she looked so relieved now.

“There…” he said softly. “From now on those hairs will grow like they’re meant to.”

She seemed slightly embarrassed still, and said: “I thought all those baths meant that it would look more normal…”

He closed the distance between them again, pulling her closer to him, and she trembled as their bare bodies were now touching.

“Belle, you are beautiful the way you are – and those hairs would not have stopped me from loving you either… But you need not feel ashamed for any of it. Understand me? I’m the one who usually has reptilian skin… You should never feel like the abnormal one.”

Those words did seem to soothe her, and she curiously looked at him. “Why haven’t you changed back yet?”

He smiled, before he admitted sadly: “I saw your gaze when I changed into this form… You like me better this way, don’t you?”

Unable to hide her blush, Belle cast down her gaze for a few moments. “You’re the same man, I know that… It’s just… Your beauty surprised me a little. You have beautiful eyes this way – but also in the other way – but just… they’re so brown and warm now.”

He smiled, those eyes looking for hers, and he noticed how her blush grew fiercer as he looked at her as warmly as he could. It wasn’t hard to do – he was filled with love whenever he looked at her.

“I won’t change my body then,” he decided. “For tonight, I am yours… Human, and Dark One alike.”

He gently moved her towards the furs and hides by the fireplace, and as he knelt down, so did she, and as he wrapped his arms around her to kiss her, he noticed how she was a little shy.

But with each kiss, she grew bolder, like she needed a few minutes to come to herself again, and that fierceness that had been so dominant at the beginning of their evening was beginning to surface again. She was the one that pushed him to lay down, and she was the one that sat on top of him as she continued kissing him, her legs on either side of him as he let his hands roam over her curves.

He moaned gently in approval – and she returned his moan with one of hers – something that made him smile against her lips, and she pulled back a little, smiling as well.

“Happy?” he asked her, and as she nodded quickly, he chuckled.

They continued their kisses for a long time, and Rumple knew that he was throbbing for her. If her amazing kisses continued for long, he could see himself coming without her help. That wasn’t what he wanted at all, and so he gently nudged her to the side, crawling down between her legs, pushing them open a little wider as he looked at her down there.

When he looked up at her face, he saw how she was blushing, but also daring him, and he gently brought his finger to her slit, checking if she was wet, and finding to his surprise that she was already a great deal moister than he had expected.

Bringing his finger up a little, he started circling it around her most sensitive spot, noticing how she held her breath as she tried to make sense of what she was feeling.

He continued eagerly, and as he saw her cheeks were getting redder by the minute, he knew he was doing something right.

He lowered himself even more, bending down to press a kiss between her legs, and at his first sweet and gentle kiss, she smiled sweetly, but when his tongue was next to lick her, her mouth dropped and she was quick to realize that this was an entirely different way of pleasing someone.

As his tongue began to flick from side to side against her sensitive nob, she moaned, and it did not go unnoticed how she spread her legs even wider for him.

As she began to move underneath him – almost as though she was subconsciously moving his tongue lower down her slit, he understood that her body was craving more.

Carefully, he slipped one finger inside of her, finding that it went without much trouble at all, and judging from her moans, she loved the sensation even more than he did.

Kissing and licking her even faster, he heard how her moans were growing louder and more erratic too, her voice rising in pitch until he suddenly felt her come undone. Her walls clenched tightly around his finger as she pushed his head slightly backwards, and as he looked up at her face, he saw the pure delight and bliss as her climax rolled over her.

If this truly was her first climax, then he truly hoped it was a good one, but judging from her happy smile as she looked at him when it was done, he knew that he had not disappointed.

He crawled over her, covering her body with his as he lay down on her and sweetly kissed her, and she was surprised by the taste on his lips. It was strange – not completely unpleasant – but unlike what she had imagined it to be. She had imagined it a little sweeter, like a true nectar, but such a poetic description didn’t quite do it justice.

As he covered his body with hers, he began to gently rock his hips to hers – even though he wasn’t inside her yet, and at the sensation of his shaft stroking her slit, Belle shuddered. It was delightful, but she was still a little sensitive.

Noticing this, Rumplestiltskin took himself in hand as he positioned himself in front of her entrance. She was still very wet, and as he managed to push into her a bit, he also noticed how tight she was. It was to be expected, he supposed, and he pulled out of her again, to which she shuddered again.

He repeated this several times – pushing in, then pulling out again – and each time it seemed like he was able to get in a little deeper, and she was relaxing more.

She had her eyes closed now – trying to focus on the sensation above all other things, and Rumplestiltskin kissed her neck, leaving her moaning in desire before he finally pushed in completely, and the way she clung to him told him she had not seen it coming.

He knew now that it was best to start moving, and as he slowly began to thrust inside her, she moaned again – in desire and approval.

Knowing of her curse, Rumplestiltskin was also sensing if it was completely undone yet – but the magic still hung over her, and he wondered when it would break completely. Was it his task to come inside her? Would that break her curse? Or did she need to come too, with him inside her? He could not leave anything up to chance, and so he continued dutifully, with the utmost affection for his wife.

Belle had often dreamed of this night – but she had also often feared it. Rumplestiltskin was not someone she needed to fear though, not when she judged the way he held her so gently and moved so sensually inside her. Pain wasn’t on his mind, only her pleasure, and he was working her body towards another climax.

Without effort, she felt how the pressure inside was increasing, and her body responded by rocking against him in return, a little rougher than he did – for she was desperate for another release. He startled a little at the realization that she wasn’t as delicate as he had feared, and judging from her hungry kisses, she was nowhere near tired of him yet.

Uncertain whether he could come already, he tried to control himself, but that was difficult with his little vixen Belle beneath him, urging him to continue with her longing moans.

“More,” she whispered, licking her lips and he found it hard not to obey her. He went harder and faster this time, and strangely enough she seemed to love it, a smile on her face until she cried out and he felt how she came once more, this time while he was inside her.

He nearly doubled over from the sensation, and though she was still sensitive, he kept on moving inside her, his own desire to come not waning at all. The magic around her still wasn’t broken, and he hoped that when he came inside of her, it would be enough.

Her hands were in his hair once more, and she kissed him passionately, urging him on with nothing but affection and desire, and when he finally reached the point of no return, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her firmly as he buried himself inside her, his grunts betraying his own desire for her.

For a moment, he felt an exhaustion unlike the Dark One was prone to feel – like he wasn’t the Dark One at all, but his strength returned to him within moments, and he grinned as he looked at Belle, who seemed very excited about the fact they had just consummated their marriage.

“Are you alright?” he asked, afraid he had been a little too rough towards the end.

“Better than alright,” she replied eagerly, and he chuckled at her enthusiasm.

His smile wavered, however, when he used that moment to sense if the curse was broken already.

It wasn’t, and she immediately noticed his deep frown.

“Rumple… What’s wrong?” she asked, frowning as well.

“I still feel the magic around you,” he muttered. “It doesn’t make sense… It should be broken, shouldn’t it?”

Belle gulped, uncertain. “Are you sure you still feel it though? Perhaps it’s your own magic?”

He shook his head. “No, it’s you, Belle. It’s that blasted curse… It’s not gone just yet.”

He gently pulled out of her, and they both shuddered at the sensation. But even then, he could still sense the presence of her curse.

“Maybe we need to try again… We must be missing something…”

Belle bit her lip, worrying a little. She wanted to believe that the curse was already broken, but if it wasn’t… what was keeping it in place?

“We still have several hours of night,” Rumplestiltskin continued hopefully, not wanting her to give up yet. “Perhaps we need to come at the same time? Or you need to take the lead?”

Belle nodded, agreeing with him that they could not give up just yet.

As she moved to sit on top of him, he saw how she had a small frown on her face, and he wondered: “Are you a little sore?”

“A little,” she admitted, and his hand glowed purple as he brought it between her legs, gently touching the sensitive skin, and soon she had her eyes closed as he touched her down there again, not just healing her, but gently teasing her as well, and she seemed to enjoy it more than anything as she sat on his hand, enjoying the way his fingers curled against her.

She was sure she would be able to come if she let him continue – but that was not what she was after. They needed to have another go at it – sooner rather than later – but it seemed like he wasn’t ready for that yet. Bringing her own hand to his soft member, she started rubbing it, realizing now that he needed a lot more friction than she did to come – especially when she remembered the last minute of his love-making. The thought alone turned her on though, and she wondered what he was thinking precisely as he grew harder in her hands again.

She wasted no further time once he was hard and guided him inside of her, noticing that it was already a lot easier than before – his healing hands had probably helped with that as well. He held her by the hips as she rocked against him, and the loving gazes that they shared brought them both to a slower, but equally blissful release this time.

Belle nearly collapsed on top of him, and he sat up a bit to meet her, supporting her sweetly while he kissed the side of her head.

“Sweetheart…” he whispered. “Are you okay?”

She nodded happily, though there was small tears in her eyes as well. “More than okay… This is so amazing… But is the curse broken yet?”

He had hardly dared to sense it, but as he opened himself up to it, he was afraid he still felt the magic around her, and he was feeling a bit of panic now. They had come at nearly the exact same time – so if that wasn’t the reason why the curse wouldn’t break, what was it?

His silence told her enough, and she held onto him tightly, hiding her head underneath his chin so he wouldn’t have to look at her.

“Even if it’s not broken after this night… I’m still so happy to have married you, Rumplestiltskin. This night has been amazing.”

She was emotional – perhaps tired from the long day and the busy night as well – but he would not have her give up before the night was over.

“It’s not over yet,” he whispered. “I’m not giving up yet. What are we forgetting? Why isn’t it breaking?”

Belle suddenly gasped, as though she realized something.

“Blood.”

Rumplestiltskin looked at her with wide eyes.

“I don’t think I bled, did I?” she asked immediately.

He frowned. “No, you were wet enough when it started, and we were careful… But… that does sound like something the Queen would measure a successful first night by.”

Belle bit her lip. “Can you make me bleed?”

Though he was the Dark One, the human part of himself hated this more than anything. “I don’t want to… But I can… The Dark One can.”

Belle wondered just how big the difference between the Dark One and Rumplestiltskin was.

“Then let him play too,” she said softly.

With a deep sigh, Rumplestiltskin closed his eyes. The next moment, his human skin changed, and when his eyes opened, Belle was greeted by those strange golden eyes again – eyes she liked just as much as the big brown ones. Though it was clear that they were different – very different – in emotion as well.

Rumplestiltskin giggled now, and he wrapped his arms around Belle in a possessive way, his gaze playful as he held her in his lap.

“My beautiful princess,” he purred happily, nuzzling her neck and sucking so hard on her sensitive skin that Belle suddenly felt a pinch of pain. As she moaned in acknowledgement of that pain, the Dark One soon had his lips on another part of her neck, repeating the process a few time, strangely enough not leaving her angry with him, but frustrated and hot for him.

“A little pain is good, yes?” he asked her, and she could not help but blush. So far it had been pleasant – in a strange way.

Looking down between his legs, she noticed that he was hard again – and she looked a little longer than she had wanted to, which apparently amused the Dark One, for he giggled again.

“See anything you like, dearie?” he asked her, and she blushed fiercely as she offered him a smile.

“It looks bigger,” she admitted, wondering why that was so.

“Ah yes. Compensation,” he replied playfully, and at this Belle chuckled.

“Compensation for what?”

“Bad teeth.”

She giggled again at those words – and to show him she wasn’t scared of him – or disgusted by his bad teeth – she pulled him closer and kissed him.

Even the Dark One could be surprised sometimes – and this was one of those times. The beast was almost tamed by her sweet kiss, purring when her lips parted from his, and even he did not look forward to hurting her.

“I almost feel sorry that I must ravage you,” he muttered against her lips, and he could feel how she sighed against him.

“It is what the Queen would want…”

“And you’re really not scared?”

She was quiet for a great deal longer than he would have wanted, but as she looked up at him again, she shot him an apologetic gaze.

“A little bit.”

“You’ll be hurt,” he said honestly. “But you shouldn’t be scared. Not all pain is evil – and even in pain, I will help you find your pleasure – I promise you that.”

He pulled her closer for a kiss, his grip fierce, and as she moaned against him, he lay her down, spreading her legs before he pushed himself in. This time – she had not been ready – and he felt how she tensed and almost in an instinct pushed him away, a little whimper escaping her lips.

He had hurt her – he knew that – but he kissed her before he started bucking his hips into hers, hoping she could forgive him for this.

She desperately clung to his shoulders, kissing him in return, trying to distract her thoughts by being just as fierce as he was, and as she bucked her hips to his, he respected her more than anything.

Brave, beautiful Belle… So open-minded and loyal at the same time. Even if he had just made her bleed, she was still being the best wife she could be to him, and as he paused to sense her curse, his mouth suddenly dropped.

Noticing his expression, she looked at him in alarm.

“What’s wrong?”

He grinned suddenly. “Your curse… It’s gone. I no longer sense it.”

She looked so happy and elated in that moment, and as she pulled him near, he did not resist giving her another kiss.

As the kiss ended, she whispered: “Now continue, you fool. You promised me pleasure, did you not?”

The Dark One grinned. “Oh yes. Yes I did. Brace yourself, princess. You might not be able to walk tomorrow.”


	7. The Terrible Idea

The Dark One had not exaggerated. Walking was a bit of an issue the following morning. She was a little sore – and she had used some muscles she had never known she had that night. It amused her that such a wild night had left her unable to walk properly, and after she crawled in back with her husband after a quick trip to the bathroom, he hugged her tightly.

Rumplestiltskin had remained in bed with her all night long, until morning, just to watch her sleep. He never slept, but he enjoyed her presence, even more so after last night.

“Good morning, my wife,” he greeted her, and she smiled widely as she looked at him, her voice still deep with sleep.

“Good morning, sweet husband.”

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and she crawled closer to him to hug his naked form, and he let her, hugging her back.

For a few moments, she hid her face against his chest and shed some tears of relief, and knowing what was going through her mind, he pressed comforting kisses to her forehead.

“I love you so much,” she whispered. “I never knew it was possible to love someone this much.”

As so often before, his emotions mirrored hers. He felt the same.

“I love you too… and I’m so happy we beat the Evil Queen. Your curse is broken now.”

As he said that, he let his hands roam her lower back, until his warm hands found her bum and squeezed it gently. She chuckled at that.

“You want another go?” she whispered, blushing slightly as she suggested it.

He was honestly a little surprised by her eagerness to have sex with him. None of his former lovers had ever been this eager, but at the same time, he could not blame her. She had had so little physical pleasure in her life. He would give her anything she desired.

“What does my lady wish this morning?” he asked her playfully. “How shall I make you reach your orgasm?”

She bit her lip as she considered it for a moment, then said: “However we do it, I want to look in your eyes.”

He considered it a bit of a strange request. Sure, he had experience with sex – and he was far from a blushing virgin. But at the same time, he had little experience with true intimacy, and it intimidated him a little bit.

She was so fearless to him, and he hoped that she wouldn’t see through him – that she would never notice how terrified of this he was – how terrified he was that she would break his heart as it had so often been broken before. He knew that even marriage vows were never a guarantee for happiness, even though he wanted this marriage to last forever.

Luckily she was nothing but kindness personified. The gentle way she held him as they kissed was proof of that, as were her soft-spoken words of love. Those admissions of love did not stop coming after they left the bed.

Throughout the day she would treat him to kisses, hugs, and sometimes even naughtier things than that.

She was a fast learner – an instinctive one too – and one evening as he was sitting behind his spinning wheel, she sat down between his legs and made him forget the entire world as she brought him to a quick yet wonderful release. He had no idea how she had learned to do those things with her mouth – but he wasn’t going to complain about it.

All that teasing was probably her payback for those times he had disturbed her reading by going down on her instead. He decided to be quiet about it and just enjoy the consequences of his own teasing – and she helped him to his release in no time.

One thing that he found strange, was that she never complained about his appearance whenever they had sex. Sometimes he would transform himself into the spinner – just for her – other times she would initiate it herself, even while he looked like the Dark One. She played no favorites, and so the Dark One was not jealous of the spinner, or the spinner of the Dark One. It brought a strange sense of peace to him: that he was allowed to be her husband no matter what he was like most of that day.

He was still the Dark One though. He was still capable of great evil. When Jefferson came to the castle to try and steal a potion from him, Belle found her husband choking the poor Hatter in the laboratory, but only a few words from her made him stop, and she urged Rumplestiltskin to make a deal instead.

This left the Hatter rather confused, and as Rumplestiltskin offered the Hatter a seat and Belle ran off to the kitchen to make them some tea, Jefferson was a little confused.

“I didn’t know you were married,” he said honestly, and these words alarmed Rumplestiltskin. After all: he hadn’t called Belle ‘wife’ or anything of the sort, and it wasn’t like they wore rings as symbols of their union. Had he just realized that they were married from the way Belle had spoken to him? From the way he had listened without arguing?

For a moment he considered choking Jefferson again – but he knew Belle would not approve. And he wanted her to approve. If she approved, it meant she would spoil him with kisses and far finer things too. If he killed Jefferson, he probably wouldn’t be allowed to touch her for a year.

He knew what he preferred. Killing Jefferson wasn’t that high on his to-do-list. In fact, he kind of liked the worldly traveler.

“No one knows,” Rumplestiltskin admitted. “Keep it that way – or my revenge won’t be pretty.”

The Hatter nodded quickly, understanding Rumplestiltskin all too well. “Your secret’s safe with me. I know what it’s like to have many enemies. I have a secret too, you see.”

Rumplestiltskin raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

“My daughter, Grace,” Jefferson explained, and at this Rumplestiltskin was truly surprised.

“Oh?”

He had never heard of Jefferson’s daughter before, and he was honestly confused by the fact that he would trust him – the Dark One – with such a secret.

“I don’t tell anyone about her either. Too many enemies and she is too precious to me.”

“Yet you just told me – a moment after I tried to kill you. What makes you think I won’t try to kill her?”

He honestly had no intention of killing a child, but Jefferson did not know that.

“She’s the reason I tried to steal that potion…” Jefferson explained, pleading with the Dark One. “She’s been very sick lately… I know your potion could cure her of that illness. But I have nothing to offer you.”

Rumplestiltskin wasn’t so sure about that. Everyone had something of value. Especially Jefferson.

“You do. Your hat. Loan it to me.”

The Hatter protested, and it took a lot of reasoning of Rumplestiltskin before he was able to persuade Jefferson to say goodbye to his hat for a while. Rumplestiltskin offered a pot of gold, as well as a promise to help him one other time if Grace was sick again.

He took the offer, and Belle had heard just enough as she entered with the tea.

“What’s this I hear about a honeymoon?”

Rumplestiltskin chuckled. “Well, you deserve one, my dearie.”

He did not often call her dearie – but in the presence of Jefferson, he wasn’t entirely like himself – though not entirely unlike himself either.

As Belle poured them all some tea, she even joined the hatter and her husband for tea, eagerly asking the Hatter all sorts of questions of the worlds that could be visited with his hat. She was especially intrigued by Agrabah, and kept on asking questions about it.

It was a pleasant little get-together, and the Hatter left with the potion he had requested for Grace, and Belle and Rumplestiltskin left to go on their honeymoon not long after. They locked down the castle, protected it with a handful of spells, gathered some clothes, and off they went, not returning until several months later.

 

 

Seven worlds later, they returned. But they weren’t alone. From Neverland, they had brought along someone who Rumplestiltskin had not expected to see until decades later – Baelfire, who had been trapped on the island for almost as long as Rumplestiltskin had been the Dark One.

It had been an emotional reunion, and Belle had been a little upset that Rumplestiltskin hadn’t told her anything about his son yet, yet she welcomed the boy with an open mind and a loving heart, and he seemed to like her more than he did his own father at times.

But their family was even larger than that by the time they returned. Belle was with child as they stepped out of the final portal, and while she eagerly showed Baelfire all around the castle, Rumplestiltskin excused himself to go return the hat to the Hatter.

It was in perfect condition, and he did not linger as he gave it back to Jefferson, thinking to himself how the young girl Grace would make a nice friend for Baelfire, but not voicing that just yet. He had far more important things to do.

As he whisked into the Evil Queen’s castle, she sensed he was around, a wicked gleam in her eyes as she spotted him.

“Ah, look who the cat dragged in… I thought you were off on a holiday?” she said in her usual wicked tone, apparently feeling some real joy from seeing him again. “It’s been months – I had at least expected a card.”

He offered her a smile, though it wasn’t a sincere one. The light did not reach his eyes. He had not seen Regina since Belle had come into his life – since he had learned that she had been the woman to inflict so much pain upon one of the most precious people he had ever met. And with Baelfire back, and another child on the way, he had far too many people to protect from her.

“Do you remember the princess of Navarre?” he asked her, trying to keep his voice as casual as usual, though Regina noticed something was up and looked at him a little suspiciously.

“Belle, yes, of course I remember her. How do you know her?”

Rumplestiltskin was standing opposite her, completely taking her by surprise when he suddenly ripped her heart from her chest, and she gasped in pain as she stared at him with wide eyes.

“I married her,” he replied coldly, and with a firm squeeze, her heart was reduced to ashes and she collapsed in front of him.

He had not taken the time to gloat or to enjoy the confusion on her face. Perhaps he had changed a bit after all – for all that mattered now was getting the job done – keeping his family safe – and there was no wicked giggle to follow this murder.

He stood there, his heart quietly raging for a few moments longer.

Regina had always been meant to break the curse – but now that Baelfire was back, the future had taken a completely different turn. The Evil Queen was of no more use to him, and he certainly didn’t want her around if she was a threat to his family. He had avenged Belle, even if she had never asked for that, and he had done everything in his power to keep his family safe. The Dark One would continue to do just that, for as long as it was necessary.

Upon returning home, he was greeted by Belle and Baelfire as they had set the table, and he smiled warmly, nothing but love in his eyes as he went over to them to embrace them. They hugged him tightly and he considered himself one of the luckiest people on the planet as he sat down with them for tea and scones.

Life was perfect this way. Just his little family and him, and he vowed to keep them happy and safe for the rest of their lives. Perhaps protecting his family came at the cost of darkening his heart whenever a threat arose, but around them, it felt light still. Though it was impossible to keep the darkness out, he was now also letting the light in. He liked that balance. He felt happier than he had in centuries.

A month or so after they had returned from Neverland, Belle was sitting in the window sill after Baelfire had already gone to bed, gazing out at the stars while Rumplestiltskin sat down next to her, his hand instinctively travelling to her belly, gently touching it as he looked at her, and she smiled, though he immediately noticed something was off.

“What is it, sweetheart?” he wondered, worried that she had picked up on something she wasn’t supposed to know.

“Spoke to Jefferson today,” she said honestly. “About Grace and Baelfire, and how they seem to be getting along… But he also told me something else.”

Rumplestiltskin gulped and kept quiet, realizing from her tone that she did not like what she was about to say.

“The Evil Queen died, apparently. The same day you returned the hat to Jefferson. Isn’t that a strange coincidence?”

He kept quiet for a few moments, realizing that Belle already knew the truth. She slept with him each night. She knew how he ticked, even if he usually tried to hide the worst parts of himself from her.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, and she shook his head.

“Now don’t lie to me,” she said sternly, though she didn’t sound as angry as he had expected her to be. “You’re not really sorry for killing her. You’re sorry I found out.”

He kept quiet. She was right.

She sighed. “I must admit though, I was still terrified of her – right until the moment Jefferson told me she was dead. I honestly feared she would find out I was here – alive, happy and pregnant – and I feared she’d hurt me because I had broken her curse. I was afraid she’d hurt our child.”

“As was I,” Rumplestiltskin whispered softly. “I was afraid she’d hurt you or Bae or the baby… I couldn’t take any chances… I didn’t want to lose any of you…”

Belle sighed. “I understand you, that’s what bothers me myself. I would never kill someone myself – I don’t think I would – but I completely understand why you’d do this. I would fight for this family too. But you shouldn’t have gone behind my back. And perhaps we should have given the Evil Queen a chance. Were we really sure she would hurt us? We just assumed she would…”

“She was a monster,” he said quietly. “I made her that way. I made her cruel, but there was no way to undo that – not in her case. She wasn’t cursed, but she was made evil by her mother and myself. I wanted to use her to cast a curse that would reunite me with Baelfire – but once we found Baelfire without her help, I knew I no longer needed her. So I destroyed her before she destroyed anyone else’s life. Does that make me evil?”

Belle honestly didn’t know, but she took his hand despite of it.

“I wonder that myself sometimes. But if you’re evil, and I’m married to you, then am I not evil too?”

“You could never be evil,” he whispered warmly, and she smiled at that.

“Still…” She sighed softly. “I’m afraid someone’s going to make a mistake – an honest mistake – and you’ll kill him. Like Jefferson. You were about to kill him when he tried to steal from you – but he’s a good man. One mistake doesn’t make someone worth killing.”

“Regina was worth killing,” Rumplestiltskin insisted. “And didn’t you hear? Her stepdaughter Snow White has taken the throne back – and she is far better to her people. How can you blame me for killing Regina then?”

“I don’t think I blame you,” Belle said honestly. “I just fear for your soul and your heart. I don’t want you to darken it further. I love you the way you are, but don’t make it harder on me to love you by killing people left and right whenever they look at us the wrong way. That’s what drove Baelfire away from you the first time.”

He did not need reminding of that and kept very quiet for several seconds, his hand still on her belly, though it had long stopped moving.

“I’m just afraid of losing you all…”

“Sometimes that’s a part of life,” Belle said sadly. “I was sad to lose my mother, and I would give a lot to see her again – but I wouldn’t sacrifice everything – not the goodness in my heart, or the happiness of the people I love. If something happens to me – then know that I would want you to be good – and happy.”

Rumplestiltskin looked at her with a miserable expression. “I couldn’t be happy without you or Baelfire. I just know life would be horrible.”

She touched his cheek and softly leaned in for a small kiss.

“Sweetheart,” she whispered afterwards. “You could be strong though, for Baelfire. And I’m sure happiness would return to your life at some point – just not straight away. Don’t tell me you’ve never felt before like you’d never be happy again?”

As he thought about it, he remembered many such moments… When his father had left him… When Milah had left… When Baelfire had left… But he was truly happy now – and though he hated to say it – he had been happy when it had just been Belle, without Baelfire around as well. It was something he would never admit aloud to his son, but it was the truth. He loved Bae still, but even without him there, Rumplestiltskin had tasted happiness. That didn’t make it any less difficult to imagine the same without Belle there for him.

Tears stood in his eyes as he considered it, and Belle had seldom seen him so moved. Hugging him tightly, he was eager to return that hug, crying softly as he said: “I know that if you died, the dark part of me would lash out at the world. Even when I know that would also hurt you. I won’t be able to stop it. And that hurts even more to know.”

“Is there no way to tame the beast?” she wondered, but Rumplestiltskin shook his head.

Sure, there was the dagger, but Rumplestiltskin wasn’t ever going to trust anyone with that – not even his son. It was safe and sound, and would be so forever. He knew it was better off hidden.

“Can’t I share this burden with you?” she asked sweetly, and at these words, his eyes suddenly widened. As an idea came to him, he was shocked by how well it could work. It wouldn’t just keep her alive – it would also make her powerful enough to defend herself – and he would get to share in her goodness at the same time.

Without hesitation, he put his hand to his chest, and as he suddenly pulled out his own heart, Belle gasped. She had never seen a heart before, but found his to look very dark – darker than she had expected a heart to be – though there were still some spots of light in there.

Putting his hand to her chest, he hopefully asked: “Let me?”

Realizing what he wanted to do, she was a little afraid of the pain that was to follow, but she nodded bravely.

As he yanked her heart out, she thought for a moment she was going to faint – but the pain passed quickly – and luckily she soon found that it did not hurt at all.

Placing their two hearts besides each other on the table, Belle compared hers to his. Hers was so light compared to his, and he suggested: “I could give you part of my heart – literally – if I could get part of yours. You would share my curse that way – and my powers – and my life. We would live together and die together – and we would fight against the darkness within together.”

Belle hesitated. No doubt about it that this would change her completely. Part of her thought it was a terrible idea. She liked herself the way she was – yet at the same time she wanted to be there for her husband – and she considered it unfair to leave him to an eternal life while she grew older every day.

But there was someone else to consider – the young life within her – and she had no idea how to deal with that.

“Give me time to consider it,” she said softly, looking at her belly for a moment. “Until the child is born. I wish to help you, but I’m not sure it’s wise to make such a vast change while I’m with child.”

Rumplestiltskin looked a little disappointed, but Belle smiled warmly.

“I think it’s a good idea, husband. And I think I’m going to go through with it. Once I’ve delivered the baby. But maybe… just maybe… we should work on getting your heart a little less black before then.”

Frowning, he wondered what she had in mind.

“If evil deeds make your heart go black, then good deeds will make it go light again. If your heart can be lighter by the time we split it and share it, the shock will not be so hard – on either of us.”

Though it wasn’t in his nature to be so kind and heroic – he honestly wanted to make an effort – for her. He smiled gently and nodded.

“Let’s try it.”


	8. The Happy Family

Baelfire wasn’t sure what he witnessed in the months that followed. The heavier Belle seemed to become, the more his father seemed to be out of the house, but he would always return in the evening, with tales of good deeds and trophies and other tokens of gratitude that he had received.

“I no longer make deals,” he had said proudly. “And I don’t use dark magic unless I can help it. But I do ask them to give me something from the heart if they want to!” As he put a pot of stew on the table, Baelfire frowned.

“Stew?” the teen asked, hardly believing it. “You saved their village, and they gave you stew?”

Belle chuckled, amused by Baelfire’s reaction.

“It’s good stew,” Rumplestiltskin defended the gift he had received, a little disappointed that his son wasn’t eager about the good work he was trying to do. He found it strange that his own son, who had always hated him being evil, was so unbelieving of the fact he was honestly trying to do good. It was a little disheartening.

Baelfire really couldn’t believe it. He thought something was up, and one evening, he sneaked out of bed to check up on what was going on in the living room. His father and Belle were seated in front of the fireplace, opposite one another on the warm rug, and his father was holding something magical while Belle had both of her hands on her belly – which looked like it was going to explode any moment now. Narrowing his eyes as he peeked through the opening in the door, he wondered what it was that his father could be holding.

As he kept quiet, he realized it was beating, and he bit his lip as he considered that it could really be his father’s heart.

Belle placed a sweet kiss upon it, smiling.

“It’s so much lighter than last week,” she said hopefully. “I think you’ll have a color as light as mine by the time the baby is born.”

Rumplestiltskin grinned eagerly, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek.

“I just want us to be happy. When we split our hearts, we can both fight this darkness with good deeds and love. I just hope…” He hesitated for a moment. “I just hope you’ll be stronger at fighting it then I was when I was new to it. Baelfire truly saw me at my worst. On the first day I was the Dark One, I killed a bunch of guards in front of his eyes… I mean… I knew they were trying to lead him to a certain death, to the Ogre Wars, but that is no excuse for what I did. I slaughtered them right in front of him.” He closed his eyes and shook his head. “He was just a kid, but I didn’t even realize how messed up that was. And by the time I did realize what I had done, it was too late.”

Belle gulped. “It’s never too late,” she offered hopefully. “There’s always a way back… Baelfire will come to see you as a hero too – just give him time. You’ll just need to keep on doing good deeds… He’ll come around eventually.”

Baelfire felt some guilt nagging at him. He knew his father had been trying really hard, but he had not believed it. There had been so many empty promises made in the past – but if his heart truly was lighter now, then perhaps his father was telling the truth for a change?

“I’ll keep on working for this as hard as I can,” he promised. “I just hope that when we split our hearts, I won’t be the one that will need to be kept in check as well… The Dark One’s lust for evil is scary sometimes. I hope I’ll be strong enough to face it when your beautiful heart gets merged with mine. It’s a daily battle against evil – but thinking ‘what’s the use?’ often helps.”

“How so?” Belle wondered.

Rumplestiltskin shrugged. “People are annoying sometimes. They ask for things they should not ask for, for example. And then you’d rather squash them or kill them than deal with them. But it helps to think that people are more use to you alive than dead.”

“That’s dark, Rumple.”

He rolled his eyes. “They don’t call me the Dark One for nothing, sweetheart.”

Belle chuckled, and Rumplestiltskin suddenly said: “I’ve been preparing a surprise for you. And Bae. And the baby.”

Intrigued, Belle sat a little straighter. “Oh?”

“I’m not telling,” he teased her. “Just prepare to be surprised. Once the baby comes.”

As Belle rubbed her belly, she smiled. “Soon. It won’t be long now.”

 

 

It wasn’t long at all. A week later, while Rumplestiltskin was out, Belle’s water broke. Baelfire was nearby and immediately rushed to her aid, calling his father’s name as Belle lay down in front of the fireplace, panting and breathing out in short puffs, hoping it would stop the contractions for a little while.

Rumplestiltskin appeared straight away, wearing leather armor as he said: “I was just chasing a dangerous dragon. This isn’t great timing, sweetheart.”

Belle shot him an annoyed expression. “This baby isn’t going to wait much longer. But by all means, if you’d rather go and slay a dragon…”

“Oh hell no,” Rumplestiltskin said quickly, whisking his sword away from his hand and putting on another outfit with magic. He now wore clean, blue robes, and Baelfire raised an eyebrow, wondering why his father had chosen that outfit of all he could have thought of.

“Blue is a calming color,” he told his son. “I want Belle to be relaxed.”

“Too fucking late for that,” she grunted in an annoyed tone, screaming as she felt a contraction coming up.

“Will you be so kind as to hold her hand,” Rumplestiltskin asked his son as he lifted Belle’s skirt and peeked underneath, and Baelfire pulled wide eyes, wondering if that was a good idea.

As he gave Belle his hand and she squeezed it, he nearly doubled over himself, wondering where Belle’s strength suddenly came from.

Several hours later, it felt like he had no more hands left, but the pain was forgotten as he heard the baby cry, Rumplestiltskin’s robe now covered in blood as he held the child to his chest, and Belle completely exhausted yet happily looking at the baby and her husband as he held it in his arms.

“It’s a girl,” he said emotionally, wondering if anything could be prettier than this. “She’s just as beautiful as her mommy.”

As he moved closer to Belle, he held the baby tightly in his arms, but upon seeing Belle’s pleading gaze, he quickly helped her by putting the baby in her arms, and he could not remember ever being happier as that moment when he saw Belle cry tears from joy.

He moved close to her, embracing his little family in his arms, and invited Baelfire into his arms as well. He was glad to see that his son didn’t mind showing any affection at this moment, hugging his father tight as he too looked at the girl.

“What’s her name?” he wondered softly, afraid to upset the girl as she lay so peacefully in Belle’s arms already.

As Rumplestiltskin looked at Belle, they smiled. They had discussed hundreds of names, had chosen a dozen that they liked – but they had both agreed that the child needed to fit the name – and that such a thing could only be decided upon seeing the baby.

It seemed like Belle was leaving the honors to Rumplestiltskin, and as he looked at the peaceful child – who almost seemed to be smiling too – he knew which of the names was best.

“Eleanor.”

Belle smiled, agreeing with that name, and gave her daughter a kiss on the head. “Welcome to our little family, Eleanor. We’re glad to have you.”

 

 

 

The surprise Rumplestiltskin had prepared had to wait for a few days as Belle was getting used to being a mother. She was a natural though, enjoying all the nursing so much that Rumplestiltskin hardly dared to ask her what she thought of sharing her heart with him.

But even then, he did not want to keep the surprise from her, and one day, he whisked his entire little family away – to the other side of the Enchanted Forest, where a large and beautiful house by the side of the forest awaited them. A smaller cottage stood opposite it, and to Belle and Baelfire’s surprise, Jefferson and Grace greeted them.

“Grace, what are you doing here?” Baelfire wondered, not keeping up with what was going on.

“We moved here a few weeks back!” Grace said excitedly. “We’re going to be neighbors!”

Baelfire could hardly believe it, and looked at his father, who was grinning widely.

“I thought the castle was a little bit too big for just the four of us. I don’t need to overcompensate for a family I’m missing anymore. I’d rather have you all a little closer to me, hence the new house.”

He gestured to the beautiful house, and Belle eagerly carried Eleanor inside, looking around the large and pleasant living room, where a spinning wheel was already waiting for them, along with a few comfortable armchairs and several book racks.

There were several bedrooms – more than they needed still – a large kitchen – and a cellar that was bigger than the rest of the house.

“I wanted a bit of storage room,” Rumplestiltskin admitted. “So we can bring over whatever we want from the Dark Castle.”

Belle loved the surprise, and so did Baelfire, who immediately went over to Grace’s house to see what his father had summoned for the Hatter and his daughter.

Honestly, Belle was surprised that the Hatter had agreed to this, but Jefferson was truly eager to have them as their neighbors, and told them of the nearby village, and how no one knew they were living here – or that Rumplestiltskin was the Dark One.

“I will take on my human form from now on,” Rumplestiltskin had decided. “No one needs to realize I’m the Dark One.”

It was the setup of an interesting future for sure, and as they moved in properly, Belle remained quiet about splitting her heart with him for several more months, only bringing it up over a year later, when little Eleanor no longer needed to be breast-fed quite as much.

“She can switch to regular milk now, just in case my milk would turn sour from the change…”

Rumplestiltskin was surprised, to say the least. He had never thought that that was the reason why she had postponed it so long – because she was afraid she couldn’t breastfeed Eleanor.

“You still want to do this?”

She nodded eagerly. “More than ever. You’ve proven that you can be a wonderful husband – Dark One curse or not – I hope I can prove to you that I can still be a wonderful wife as well. I’m ready.”

“Shall we just do it then?” he asked nervously, his hands trembling a little from excitement. “Do I need to ask Baelfire for help?”

Belle bit her lip, looking at Eleanor as she slept in her crib.

“Perhaps it’s best to leave Eleanor with Baelfire for a few hours – until I’ve got a grip on it, I suppose… I wouldn’t want to accidentally hurt my child.”

She looked worried about that, but Rumplestiltskin shushed her. “You won’t. I know this. Those you love will remain your loved ones still. Your need to protect them might become a little more violent, but we can handle that.”

Realizing that she was still anxious, he called for Baelfire and asked his son to take Eleanor for a walk in the stroller he had summoned a few months earlier.

Baelfire realized why. He had wondered himself when his father would finally split their hearts – and he hoped they’d be alright. But honestly, he didn’t want to be here for Belle’s big change. When his father had changed it had been traumatic enough, he hoped Belle would find her rooting faster than him.

As the boy left their house and they heard the downstairs door fall closed, Rumplestiltskin took out both of their hearts, and as he looked into Belle’s eyes and saw her small nod of approval, he split the hearts, then merged them together before he gave one to Belle, then the other to himself.

He gasped as he tried to get used to the feeling, realizing that Belle wasn’t doing so well herself. She had fallen to her knees, her hands in front of her eyes as she seemed to be dealing with a massive headache, her grunts telling him that she was in some sort of pain.

He had never felt as light though – at least not in hundreds of years – and as he found his courage and love once more, he was quick by Belle’s side, hugging her close for comfort.

“Are you okay?” he asked sweetly, trying to look into her face, though her hair covered it still as she was hunched forward.

When she eventually looked up, he was surprised that her face looked just the same as before – no strange eyes – no scaly skins – and she looked surprised.

“I felt the darkness,” she whispered. “I saw the Dark Ones. All of them.”

She looked at her own hands, frowning. “The dagger… I saw it… Why did you never tell me? I never even knew such a dagger existed…”

He gulped, a little afraid. He still didn’t want to give her the dagger, afraid she would control him with it. He did not know if he trusted her yet.

“The darkness was all over me – but I think it’s gone,” she said, hardly believing it herself. “It could not take root in me.”

Rumplestiltskin found that strange to believe, and as she realized he did not trust her, she suddenly pulled out her own heart, showing it to him.

It was even lighter than before – not a spot of Rumple’s darker heart left in hers – and as he pulled out his own heart again – he saw that the darkness was gone too. He didn’t feel as dark – though memories of centuries of darkness made him doubt if that much darkness could ever truly be gone.

“Show me the dagger,” she asked him, holding her own heart still in her hands, wondering what exactly had changed, but she knew something big had happened – even if she did not know what it was yet. She had felt it in those moments when the darkness had found no home in her heart – and it had left her.

What surprised her most was that it had left Rumplestiltskin alone too – and it seemed to be gone.

Whisking the dagger to him, he startled when he hardly recognized the handle. It was white now – and his name was gone – or not gone exactly – the name had changed.

He laughed suddenly, amused by it.

“Rumbelle,” he read aloud, showing her the dagger. “Look at that, the name changed!”

Belle frowned, though she smiled at the same time.

“What on earth just happened?”

Rumplestiltskin wasn’t sure.

“Is the darkness gone?” Belle wondered, almost afraid to voice it out loud. “I don’t feel like it’s here.”

Rumplestiltskin nodded warily. “I feel the same. But can it really be gone?”

“You don’t look scaly. Are you suppressing the Dark One’s look?”

He shook his head. “No… I’m not suppressing anything right now.” Not even the darkness within, he wanted to say, and he wondered if it could truly be gone. “Let’s go for a walk,” he decided. “It might reveal more about us.”

She agreed, and soon they were in the forest, their hands entwined as they enjoyed the fair weather and gentle sunlight.

“Do you have magic too?” he wondered suddenly, and as Belle let go of his hand, she suddenly whisked a few steps away from him, smiling.

“I do now,” she replied softly. “But I feel no darkness. How is that possible?”

Rumplestiltskin whisked until he was by her side again, hugging her close as he kissed her cheek, and she turned her head to him, grinning.

“This can’t be, can it?” she asked. “I feel at peace still – and now I have magic – and you? Is the darkness still bothering you?”

“I hardly dare to say that it isn’t, out of fear that it will return,” he admitted honestly. “But I haven’t felt like this in forever…”

Confused, but happy, they eventually returned to their large cottage house, finding Baelfire sitting with Eleanor in front of the fire, and as Rumplestiltskin immediately rushed to Baelfire to hug him, Belle took Eleanor in her arms and pressed kisses all over her face.

“So how did it go?” Baelfire asked hopefully, noticing how they both looked human still.

“We honestly don’t know,” Belle admitted. “But good. Almost too good to be true.”

“Let’s just wait and see,” Rumplestiltskin said, a little wary still. “The darkness is at bay – for now. Hopefully it remains that way.”


	9. The Unexpected Savior

Neither of them could make sense of it, but darkness was no longer a part of them. Not even the Dark One within Rumplestiltskin had ever foreseen this. Quite the opposite, for the darkness had thought that merging with Belle would be a great idea – a way to ensure more darkness would spread – but now the opposite had happened.

How had this been possible?

Rumplestiltskin and Belle had sat down with Jefferson one evening, explaining to him what they had done precisely, and even the Hatter had no insights to offer on this. Even if he was well travelled and if he had seen many kinds of magic, he had never heard of anything like someone merging their hearts and thus eliminating all darkness.

They lived a good life – a great life, even, though Rumplestiltskin always remained a little afraid and wary of the darkness returning.

He loved his wife and his children more than anything though, and was no longer consumed with thoughts of hurting people who got in their way. Instead, whenever they met people who were struggling, he now tried to help – the urge to do what was right even greater than himself. He had almost turned into Belle, he often thought to himself. She had always been like that – offering the best of herself to those who did not deserve it – but now it was him as well.

Many years passed, and as Baelfire and Eleanor grew older, they also made many friends in the village. Though they kept their magic hidden from everyone, they still helped out. When the baker’s house burned down, it somehow was restored by magic the following morning. When the farmers lost many of their chickens due to a rare disease, they all found plenty of gold on their doorsteps the following morning to go and buy more chickens from the marketplace. When children were sick, they were never sick for long – healing without effort from even the deadliest of diseases.

Belle and Rumplestiltskin kept quiet about what they did, and Jefferson and Grace kept their secret well. Baelfire found it harder at times, and he often wanted to shout from the rooftops what a good man his father was – and how far he had come. He often told his father now how much he cared for him, and how proud he was, and Rumplestiltskin had tears in his eyes each time he heard that.

When Eleanor was nine years old, it was becoming apparent to Belle and Rumplestiltskin that they weren’t aging. They were about to be grandparents for the first time – Baelfire and Grace now living together in another cottage in their part of the forest.

As they sat outside one fine summer’s evening, gazing out at the moon, they remembered their wedding, and how it had been said that the moon would watch out over them.

“But can it really?” Belle wondered wistfully. “Was it the moon that helped us get rid of the darkness?”

It wasn’t Rumplestiltskin who replied, but a voice they had not heard in nearly a decade.

“In a way…”

As they turned around, they saw the old druid that had once wed them so many years ago.

“You once blessed me by returning my sight to me… In return, the gods have blessed you too now, Beli and Ana.”

Belle’s mouth had dropped slightly, unable to comprehend what had happened.

“They truly blessed you,” the druid smiled, but Rumplestiltskin was still frowning, not able to understand what or how this had happened.

Noticing how the former Dark One could not make sense of it, the druid stepped closer, slower than before, much older too, and he placed both of his hands on Rumplestiltskin’s shoulders as he looked him in the eye.

“I never knew who you were. I did not realize you were the Dark One when I married you – or when you healed me. I thought it had been the Gods who had blessed me – and so I thanked them all day long – for days, for weeks, for months… Until they granted me images of the two of you – the Dark One and his maiden – in love, but with darkness threatening to sniff it out. I asked for the Gods to bless you – to protect and save you – like you have saved me – and they did just that.”

Rumplestiltskin had a few tears in his eyes, unable to believe that somewhere out there – a being more powerful than the Dark One – had blessed them in this way.

“You are now Light Ones,” the druid continued gently. “You may spread all the Light you wish to spread upon this world, and when you feel your time has come, you may ask the Gods to relieve you of your task. They will listen. They always do.”

As the druid suddenly coughed violently, Belle and Rumplestiltskin both grabbed a hold of his arm, supporting the man as they led him into their house, offering him a seat by the fire.

He told them about his journey to find them – about his desire to bring them this good news – about his gratefulness and undying thanks – but also about how he was getting older – and how he was so happy to finally see them – the way they truly were inside their hearts.

As the druid fell asleep in front of the fire, both Belle and Rumplestiltskin had tears in their eyes. They could feel death upon him – but not an evil death, out to destroy and consume, but a gentle one, gracefully taking this old man’s soul along for a peaceful and eternal rest. It was a strange feeling, and though it was a sad one, they were grateful to experience it.

It was a strange thought that helping this old, blind druid had called the mercy of the gods upon him – but he knew he never would have met the druid if it hadn’t been for Belle and her predicament with the chastity belt, which had quite literally forced them into a marriage. Perhaps he had Regina to thank for his own salvation after all.

He sometimes thought about his old pupil, no longer convinced that killing her had been the right thing to do. If he had been able to find a pure and good life this way, then so she could have had the same. It saddened him some times, especially when he remembered the young Regina who had been so good of heart – but whose life he had helped destroy.

Despite his goodness now, he still had to live with his sins, and when he dared to confide in Belle, he found that she was always forgiving and kind to him, shushing him and changing his sadder thoughts with kisses and promises of a brighter tomorrow. His love for her could not be greater.

Despite the bitterness that he felt for his past mistakes, his future was a happy one, a delightful one even – with beautiful children and grandchildren to fill their lives with laughter – and a wife whose beauty and kindness outshone the sunlight itself – his sweet darling Belle, who had given him her heart – quite literally – and who had forever chased all the Darkness away, with the helping prayers from an unexpected savior. He would never stop loving all of them.

THE END


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